


Something Changed

by arandomfan91



Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Malec, Malec Fluff, Mutual Pining, Pining, Romance, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-28
Updated: 2016-04-14
Packaged: 2018-05-23 18:54:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 24,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6126730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arandomfan91/pseuds/arandomfan91
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU in which the Clave accepts gay marriage and Alec is out and proud and completely comfortable with who he is. He's 18 now and the head of the Institute of NYC, a job that requires all of his time and attention. Just because he's out and happy with who he is doesn't mean he has time for love. But sometimes love sneaks up on you when you least expect it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't really have a set time-line to when this fic takes place in relation to the books/show. It's just completely AU, I guess. Jace knows Clary, but there was never a war with Valentine/the whole ordeal with the Mortal Cup. Alec has never met Magnus. The Clave has been in support of lgbtq for at least a year. And the Clave has supported relations between Shadowhunters and Downworlders for about 5 years, or so. Basically, it's an AU with a more progressive and open-minded Clave. 
> 
> Title is taken from the song Something Changed by Pulp, which is so perfect for Malec in every way.

“Izzy, Jace, there's a situation in Brooklyn I need to take care of,” Alexander Lightwood called out to his parabatai and sister as he hung up his phone, a distraught vamp on the other end of the disconnected line.

Alec had recently turned 18 and, as such, became the new acting head of the NYC institute. He was honored that the Clave and his parents trusted him with that much responsibility. It could have just as easily gone to Jace once he turned 18... but then again, maybe he was a bit too reckless for that type of position.

Alec had always been strict to the rules. 'The law is hard, but it's the law,' and all that. He believed in the Clave and the rules set forth by them. He believed in the unity the Clave had finally agreed upon between Shadowhunters and Downworlders. Which was why he needed to get to Brooklyn as quickly as possible and break up this argument between a vampire and a drunk werewolf before it escalated and caused a scene.

“Brooklyn? Yuck, I hate Brooklyn. You're on your own,” Jace replied, leaning back in his chair, hands linked behind his head and feet propped up on the table, the picture of relaxation.

Alec rolled his eyes, but he knew if he asked for Jace's help, his parabatai would be there without a second's hesitation.

“It's fine. Just a dispute. I'll have it resolved before dinner... unless Izzy's cooking. In which case, I won't be back until late,” Alec said, fighting back a grin. Jace choked out a laugh as Izzy shouted out in anger. “You guys keep an eye on things here. And Jace... don't get into any trouble.” This time Jace yelled out in anger, his feet falling off the table as Alec grinned cheekily at him, pocketing his cell and turning to press the button on the elevator.

This would be easy. He'd be back home in no time.

 

* * *

 

The streets were bright even though the sun had set a few hours before- that was always the case in New York, especially on a Friday night when Mundanes were out in hordes, celebrating the end of the work week and the weekend ahead. Alec never had cause to celebrate, because his work was never over. One fight led to another led to another led to another, and more and more demons always seemed to pop up. And since becoming head of the institute, it seemed like Alec never had a moment to himself. Jace and Izzy were probably the only two things keeping him sane. He was lucky that his two best friends always had his back and supported him. And yeah, Jace was distracted lately with his newfound romance with Clary, and Izzy had Simon... which Alec would never understand, but he supported her anyway. She could date who she wanted to date. It's not like he could stop her even if he wanted to.

Jace and Izzy loved to pester him about his love life. Izzy claimed she knew loads of gay Shadowhunters she could set him up with- no one had wasted any time coming out after the Clave announced their new positive stance on the issue. And Izzy had always known that he preferred men, but he still felt the need to officially come out to her once he knew it was safe to within the rules of the Clave. So he had sat Jace and Izzy down together and let them know. He was silly to have worried- he had both of their support and love.

His only regret in telling them was that now they wanted to set him up with anyone and everyone. Couples always spawned more couples... and they were desperate to match him up with someone.

But he didn't have time for that. He didn't have time to go out and meet guys and date, especially since he became head of the institute. He wouldn't even know what to do on a date if he got one- he'd never even been kissed. No, it just wasn't something he needed to concern himself with right now. He had his life and and his job at the institute and his duty as a shadowhunter and he didn't have the time or energy for anything else.

Alec glanced down at his phone to check that he was still on the right path to the bar that the vampire had called him from, begging him to come down there before his friend started a fight with a drunken werewolf. Stupid vampires... just because they were immortal, they thought they were invincible. This shouldn't even be his issue... Raphael or Camille should be reminding their younglings to stay in line, like Alec did with the younger Shadowhunters under his command. And he knew the vampire had called him for back-up so he wouldn't get in trouble with Raphael, but Alec wasn't going to let this slide. He would have to call another meeting between the NYC vampire and werewolf leaders again soon to remind them that they had their own duties to fulfill and rules to follow.

He became more alert as he rounded the corner to the bar, tucking his phone back into his pocket. Instantly, he could spot the argument growing more and more heated by the second between the vampire and the obviously drunk werewolf. He glanced around quickly but couldn't find the vamp who'd called him- it looked like he had bailed before he got caught up in a fight. Typical.

Alec stepped forward to put himself between the werewolf and vampire in order to give them space to cool off, right as the vampire said something in a particularly malicious voice, which seemed to set the werewolf off, who let out a loud roar.

Alec's eyes widened as he saw the werewolf begin to shake, his eyes glowing gold. The vampire drew his lips back at the werewolf, baring his fangs. Alec would have to act fast, as well as slyly, so as to not draw any more unnecessary attention. He should have worn his glamour, he realized now. But it was too late for regrets. He had to act now.

But before he could draw out his weapon, a flash of blue light swept by him, gone as quickly as a blink of an eye, and the werewolf was on the ground. The vampire's eyes widened as he took stumbling steps backward, looking around fearfully. Alec took the opening to rush forward and grab the werewolf, forcefully holding his arms together behind his back in order to keep him immobilized. Alec whirled around and glared at the vampire. “Go back to the Hotel Dumort- you've already caused enough trouble here,” he ordered sternly. The vampire had enough grace to look sheepish as he took off running, shoving past an on-looker as he ran. Alec sighed, registering in the back of his mind that he would have to come up with some sort of story to explain what was happening to that on-looker. But before he could, the werewolf groggily opened his eyes and looked past Alec. “Magnus,” the werewolf slurred.

“Magnus?” Alec questioned, lifting the werewolf up off the ground and releasing his arms. Now that the vampire was gone and the werewolf seemed to be exhausted, he assessed that there was no more danger.

“He means me,” a voice chimed in, stepping closer to Alec. Alec turned around and realized that this was the on-looker the vampire had shoved past. Alec ran his eyes over the man... no, warlock, who had cat slits for eyes, black, spiky hair, was Asian, and dressed all in bright purples and golds and glitter, oh so much glitter. Alec was momentarily stunned, as if he had been hit with that ball of blue light, as well.

“I'm Magnus,” the warlock introduced himself, holding out his hand for Alec to shake. “And that's Theo,” he said, nodding his head to indicate the werewolf. “He never could hold his liquor,” he tutted.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Shadowhunters Day!

Alec looked Magnus up and down, when finally it clicked just who it was he was looking at.

“You’re Magnus Bane, the high warlock of Brooklyn!” Alec quickly realized.

“So you’ve heard of me,” Magnus grinned. Alec noted that he looked even more like a cat when he grinned like that, mischievous and practically preening. It wasn’t a bad look on the man… “So why haven’t I heard of _you_?” Magnus asked, staring questioningly at the young Shadowhunter, his cat-like eyes in slim slits, shining with curiosity.

“I’m Alec Lightwood,” Alec introduced himself, quickly remembering his manners and reaching out to shake Magnus’ hand that had been outstretched to him during the whole exchange. He blushed as he felt a jolt of… something… shoot up his arm as their hands connected. “I’m the newly appointed head of the institute here.”

Magnus quirked an eyebrow, showing his interest in this new information. “A Lightwood. Interesting,” he purred.

“So you _have_ heard of me?” Alec inquired.

“Not of you, in particular. But yes, I have long-lasting… _connections_ with the Lightwoods,” Magnus replied, choosing his words carefully.

Alec hummed and nodded his head, pulling his hand back from Magnus to scratch the back of his neck, ruffling his hair up at the nape in a moment of awkwardness. There was something about Magnus that made him feel nervous and on fire all at the same time, and he had no idea why. It wasn’t a feeling he was used to, wasn’t something he could put a name to.

“Right, well, I’ll let you take care of Theodore here,” Magnus said, nodding his head toward the forgotten werewolf, who now appeared to be having a heated argument with a nearby lamp-post. Alec jolted. He had completely forgotten why he was even there in the first place.

“Right, yeah, that, um… thanks for your help. With the… um, magic,” Alec stuttered, taking a few stumbling steps back as he spoke, making his way toward Theo. He couldn’t believe he had gotten so distracted from his mission. Magnus beamed at him again, a faint blush appearing on the warlock’s cheeks. It was almost as if the praise had caught him off-guard. But no, that couldn’t be.

“My pleasure, Alec Lightwood.” Magnus grinned and winked at him, then turned and made his way into the bar. Alec had to force himself to not watch him walk away. But if he had looked, he would have seen Magnus turning at the door to look over his shoulder, watching Alec with a curious expression on his face as the Shadowhunter half-carried, half-dragged the werewolf down the street.

 

* * *

 

Alec took his time getting back to the institute after dropping Theo back at Jade Wolf, popping his head in briefly to say hi to Luke. He knew only paperwork and Izzy’s cooking waited for him once he got back home.

He shrugged off his jacket as he stepped off the elevator, patting Church on the head as the grumpy cat, in a rare moment of affection, rubbed up against his leg.

He made his way to his room, tossing his jacket on his bed as he went to sit at his desk, pulling out the necessary paperwork from his desk drawer. Hopefully he could have the incident report for the fight done quickly so he could call it a night sooner rather than later. 

He was halfway into the report when there was a knock at the door. “Alec?” Izzy’s voice called through the door.

“Come in,” Alec replied, rolling his neck to release the tension from being hunched over his desk for so long.

“Hey, I didn’t hear you come in. I brought you soup, though, just in case,” Izzy said, producing a bowl from behind her back of something that looked like a mix between chocolate pudding and roast beef. Alec repressed a shudder and forced himself to grin at his sister. She meant well, after all.

“Thanks, Izz,” he replied, nodding for her to set it down on the desk.

“How’d it go tonight?” Izzy asked, perching herself at the end of his bed. He spun his chair around to face her.

“I didn’t have to do much,” Alec shrugged. “Magnus Bane showed up and pretty much took care of it.”

“Magnus Bane? The warlock?” Izzy asked.

“One and the same.”

Alec spun his chair back around to face his desk so he could get back to the incident report. He tried not to breathe in too heavily, the smell of the “soup” starting to waft toward him. It made him feel a bit nauseous.

“I thought he was in London indefinitely,” Izzy remarked.

“Well, I guess he’s back.”

“The Clave will want to know that the high warlock is back in his domain. You’ll probably need to call a meeting, too.”

Alec sighed and set his pen down, turning back around to face Izzy. He wouldn’t get any work done until she left the room and stopped nagging him, anyway. Plus, now the fumes from the soup were starting to burn his eyes.

“I know that, Izzy,” Alec said, rolling his eyes at her.

Izzy held up her hands in defense. “I was just saying.”

“I was going to hold a meeting soon, anyway. The vamps have been out of control lately, picking fights with anyone they meet.”

“So nothing new, then. They’re the whiniest bunch of downworlders I’ve ever met…”

“Need I remind you that your boyfriend is a vamp?” Alec asked, raising an eyebrow at his sister.

“Exactly,” Izzy sighed. Alec chuckled under his breath as Izzy winked at him.

 

* * *

 

Izzy finally left Alec’s bedroom a little while later and he immediately dumped the foul-smelling soup into the trash and hurried to finish up the paperwork so he wouldn’t have to worry about it in the morning. He would undoubtedly have too many other things to worry about come morning. More fights, more disputes, more public relations, more delegations, more meetings… the list went on and on.

Alec let out a sigh as he rubbed his eyes, exhaustion finally winning out. He pushed away from his desk and placed the paperwork in its file to submit in the morning, then made his way into the en suite bathroom.

Alec turned on the shower and began to strip out of his clothes when he felt something crinkle in his jean pocket. He shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He wracked his brain, trying to remember when he had put that note there, and what it could be. Probably an old receipt, but he figured he should check before tossing it out.

He unfolded the paper and froze, taking a second to register what he was looking at. It was a series of numbers below a name, scrawled elegantly across the page.

The name: Magnus Bane.

That sneaky warlock…

Alec rolled his eyes, wondering how and when Magnus had slipped him his number. Nonetheless, he set the paper aside, making a note to program the number into his phone after his shower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter is short... but quick update is quick! Chapters should hopefully get longer after this, since we've gotten past all the set-up. I've already written an outline for Chapter 3, and just that is as long as this chapter, so...
> 
> Also, I forgot to mention I have a tumblr. Takeme2glasgow. Maybe I'll see you there ;)


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Alec allowed himself about 30 seconds in bed after he woke before stretching and forcing himself to get up and get going with the day.

He would start with his usual routine: a quick breakfast, then on to his morning training, which consisted of laps around the park, then back to the institute for half an hour with the punching bag. Then, he would find a sparring partner (usually Izzy, if she was awake) and work on his hand-to-hand combat. After that, he would make his way down to the basement to shoot arrows for a bit. He did this every morning, without fail, so he wouldn’t be interrupted, since there were hardly ever any emergencies to tend to in the mornings; all of his problems came at night, when the demons came out to play.

Once he completed his morning training, he’d always have lunch with Jace and spend that time catching up with his parabatai, just one-on-one brotherly bonding. They’d been doing that together for as long as he could remember, and he had a hunch it was as comforting to Jace as it was to him that, no matter what, some things never changed.

“Clary and I are hanging out tonight. Want me to set you up with someone? We can make a double-date of it,” Jace suggested, giving Alec a friendly punch to the shoulder as he entered the kitchen and made his way to the table. No “hi’s.” No “how you doin’s.” Just straight to business as always, whether it be demons or dates. Alec wasn’t sure which one was worse.

“Can’t, even if I wanted to. Which, by the way, I don’t,” Alec replied, moving over to the cabinet to grab the loaf of bread. While he liked to tease Izzy for her cooking, he never claimed to be a great cook, either. But since it appeared Jace wasn’t offering to make lunch today, they would have to be ok with simple turkey sandwiches. “I’ve got to call a meeting with all of the New York representatives today. The high warlock of Brooklyn is back in town, so I thought it was as good a time as any to discuss Downworlder business, since everyone could be in attendance. Plus, the vampires have been-“

“You’re so boring,” Jace groaned, cutting Alec off.

Alec rolled his eyes at him as he made his way over to the fridge, not taking offense to the insult. Jace was always like this, so after nearly a decade of living with him, he was used to it.

“Whatever. Tell Clary I said hey and that she needs to come by tomorrow for some more training. I kicked her ass last week more than usual,” Alec reminded his parabatai.

“You know, most brothers don’t beat up their siblings’ girlfriends,” Jace said teasingly, pouting at Alec.

“Most siblings don’t fight demons for a living,” Alec countered.

“Touché.”

“Besides, if she came in for training more often instead of going on dates with you, maybe she’d kick _my_ ass for a change,” Alec said as he slapped Jace’s sandwich down on a plate in front of him, before sitting down across from him.

“…You have a point,” Jace conceded, sighing.

“I always do,” Alec grinned smugly, before biting into his lunch.

 

* * *

 

After lunch, Alec figured he should start making preparations for the meeting that night. He would have to wait until sunset to call Raphael, since vampires were nocturnal. But he could go ahead and call Luke and Magnus.

He made his way to his bedroom so he wouldn’t be interrupted during the calls, and scrolled through his contacts for Magnus’ number, which he had put in last night.

It rang three times before Magnus answered.

“WHO DARES DISTURB MY SLUMBER?!” A voice boomed through the phone. Alec grimaced and pulled the phone away from his ear, glancing at the time on his phone while he did so. It was 3 PM and he had disturbed Magnus’ slumber? Maybe vampires weren’t the only nocturnal creatures after all. He made a note to himself to do more research on warlocks.  

When the yelling died down, Alec slowly put the phone back to his ear. “Um… Alec?” Alec said, voice shaking with nerves. He had no idea why he was so nervous- this was just business, after all. But something about the warlock just set his nerves on edge. He cleared his throat and repeated, “Alec Lightwood, head of the institute.”

“Oh! Alec,” Magnus replied, his voice sounding much friendlier (and quieter) now. “I see you got my note. I hoped you would find it”

“About that… how did you even get that in my pocket?”

“Magic, darling,” Magnus drawled, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. And Alec supposed it probably was, considering he was talking to one of the greatest warlocks of all time, if the stories were true (and in his line of work, the stories were always true).

“Right… well, since you’re back in town, and we’ve been having some issues with the vampires and werewolves arguing lately, I thought we were overdue for a council meeting. Would you be available tonight? Around 11?”

“For you, I think I can clear my schedule.”

“Um… great. Ok. We’ll meet at the Institute. Raphael can attend through Projection since he can’t pass through the hallowed ground here.”

“Yes, I am aware that vampires can’t enter holy space,” Magnus replied, sounding amused. Alec blushed and cleared his throat again.

“Right, of course. Um, right. Ok. I’ll see you then.”

“Until then,” Magnus purred.

Alec hung up and cursed under his breath. What was it about Magnus that made him so awkward and nervous? He groaned and took a deep breath, calming himself before calling Luke. At least he knew this next call would be a lot easier.

 

* * *

 

“If everyone’s ready, I’d like to call this meeting to order,” Alec announced, taking a seat at the head of the table promptly at 11 PM, Magnus on his right, Luke on his left, and a projection of Raphael standing at the other end of the table.

“First of all, introductions are in order. Luke, Raphael, this is the high warlock of Brooklyn, Ma-“

“Magnus Bane,” Luke interrupted.

“We’ve met,” drawled Raphael, looking at his fingernails in boredom, like he’d rather be anywhere but there.

“We three go way back,” Magnus explained.

“Unfortunately,” Raphael murmured under his breath. Magnus rolled his eyes at the vampire.

Alec cleared his throat and nodded his head. It seemed like there was a story there, but it would have to wait until another time. “Right... Um, great. Then let’s get straight to business.” Alec straightened up, finally in comfortable and familiar territory. This was his domain and he knew how to run it. “It’s been years since the Clave announced their allegiance to Downworlders and their pledge to fight alongside them and protect them. I have taken that pledge very seriously. So, my question is, do you?” Alec asked, looking around the table. “Last night, I broke up yet another petty argument between the Children of the Night and the Children of the Moon. Magnus kindly stepped in and helped me resolve the issue before it escalated, but Theodore was moments away from shifting and drawing unnecessary and catastrophic attention from the Mundanes. I take my commitment to the young Shadowhunters seriously. I expect the same from each of you for your own.”

“If you’re simply here to scold us, then this is a waste of my time,” Raphael responded, glowering at Alec.

“Raphael, Alec has a point,” Luke spoke up. “We each have a duty to fulfill. I think we could all learn from Alec’s leadership and take better care of our charges.”

Alec nodded at Luke and glanced to Magnus to see if he had anything to contribute. Their eyes locked and he quickly looked away when he saw that Magnus was staring thoughtfully at him, almost in an admiring way. He couldn’t lose his cool right now. He had to stay focused.

“The fact of the matter is, for every dispute I break up, I submit an incident report to the Clave. So, either you deal with your charges, or the Clave will. Which do you prefer?” Alec asked, forcing himself to not look back to Magnus, his attention turning back to Raphael, who had straightened up a bit.

“I have always taken full responsibility for my fledglings. You will have no resistance from me, as long as Lucian can keep his pups under control.”

Luke ignored the jab and nodded his head in agreement. “I’ll keep a better eye on my pack, as well. I’ll issue a warning to them tonight.”

Alec flicked his eyes back at Magnus to find him still staring at him. He quickly looked away.

“Now that we have that settled, demonic activity has been on the rise. What’s our plan of attack?” Alec asked, moving on to the next topic for the meeting, trying to ignore Magnus’ gaze that he could still feel on him.

 

* * *

 

It was closing in on 1 in the morning when the meeting came to a close. Alec was used to late hours though, since most of his fights took place in the middle of the night. He said goodbye to Luke and Raphael, who were quick to depart, but Magnus was still lingering.  

“You know, you caught me by surprise last night,” Magnus commented, stepping up to Alec so he was standing right in front of him. “I was under the impression that Robert, your father, was the head of the institute here. The Clave sure seemed in a hurry to replace him.”

“It was his decision, actually,” Alec replied, shifting uncomfortably where he stood. “He had other things to worry about.”

“Such as?”

Alec looked away, nervously searching the room for a distraction, not wanting to delve into his family’s personal history. He scratched the back of his neck and glanced back over at Magnus to see him searching his face, realization flickering across the warlock’s narrow eyes as he seemed to understand Alec’s discomfort.

“Well, whatever the reason, I can’t deny that they replaced him with someone extremely qualified for the job. Not to mention better looking.”

Alec blushed and looked down at his feet, feeling even more embarrassed as he took in his scuffed-up boots that had seen years of battle, in comparison to Magnus’ leather shoes, shining in the light. Magnus was so well put together, so glamorous and fashionable, not that Alec knew anything about fashion, or cared, for that matter. But it was hard not to be amazed at Magnus’ extravagant wardrobe and make-up.

Magnus cleared his throat and Alec realized he had gotten distracted looking at Magnus, his eyes slowly drifting up the rest of Magnus’ body, taking in his outfit. He quickly looked up at Magnus’ face, turning a bright shade of red at having been caught ogling the warlock who stood in front of him. But Magnus appeared to be blushing, too. Alec had probably embarrassed him, made him think he was judging him.

“I mean it. You’re a natural-born leader. It’s not something that can be easily taught,” Magnus persisted.

“Thanks,” Alec said awkwardly, not used to the praise.

“I’ve never seen Raphael bend that quickly to anyone. He’s a right stubborn git when he wants to be… which is pretty much always.”

Alec chuckled, shooting Magnus a shy smile. “Yeah, I’d noticed that.”

“I’d love to continue our conversation. I’m sure you could catch me up on all the Downworlder gossip I’ve missed out on these last few years while I was away in London. Would you like to come back to mine for a drink?” Magnus asked, smiling warmly at Alec.

“Oh, um… I don’t know. I mean, I have to… my sister, she’ll want to talk to me about the meeting, and the institute, they… um…”

“Say no more,” Magnus interrupted, holding up his hand to cut off Alec, but his voice was truly kind and understanding. “I know how busy you are.”

Alec stood there silently, shuffling his feet. He felt bad turning Magnus down, but he truly was busy. And he doubted Magnus ever lacked for company and friends. He was so magnificent; he could easily find someone to take his place. Alec wasn’t even sure why the warlock had wanted to spend time with him in the first place. But he still felt guilt niggling in the back of his mind.

“Maybe some other time?” He blurted out before he could stop himself. He really needed to work on his self-control and start thinking before speaking.

Magnus beamed at Alec, and Alec swore his smile lit up the whole room. It was truly something to behold. He couldn’t help but smile shyly back, suddenly happy he had been so spontaneous. Take that, Jace! He wasn’t boring!

“That would be lovely. I’ll call you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More information about this AU will unfold with each chapter. Thank you guys so much for the overwhelming response to this fic and for taking the time to read it! I love you all!


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Alec was pleasantly surprised to see that Jace had stayed true to his word and asked Clary to come by for training. He had just finished his morning run around the park and come back to the Insititute to see Clary there waiting for him.

"What's this I hear about you kicking my ass?" Clary asked in lieu of a real greeting, hands on her hips as Alec approached her. Alec shook his head fondly, thinking to himself how Clary and Jace really were perfect for each other.

Alec grabbed a pole and tossed it to her, which she easily caught. "It's true and you know it. So let's get to work," Alec countered, then swung at her with his own pole with no further warning.

Alec knew that most people would probably go easy on Clary, considering his brother was dating her and everything. Plus, she was relatively new to the shadow world, but that was all the more reason why he thought someone needed to be hard on her. It wouldn't be safe for her to be out there fighting demons unless she was properly trained.

Alec had heard the whole run-down about Clary from Jace after they’d started dating.

Clary’s mom and Luke were best friends growing up, and then Luke, on a standard mission, had been attacked by a werewolf. Of course, their story had a relatively happy ending, with Luke and Jocelyn moving to New York, Luke becoming the head of the werewolf pack of Manhattan, and the pair falling in love and getting married. But, understandably, the attack had left a scar on Jocelyn, leaving her terrified. Her biggest worry growing up, until then, had always been demons, but now the shadow world presented a whole new series of threats she’d never considered, especially with a baby girl in the picture. So Jocelyn had paid a warlock to swipe Clary’s memories of the shadow world every two years… until the warlock disappeared and Clary’s memories had slowly returned. That’s when she’d run into Jace, who’d brought her back to the institute to be properly trained. And the two fell madly in love, blah blah blah… Alec always tuned out when Jace started waxing poetry about their love.

The point was, Clary was severely lacking in the basic training that most Shadowhunters started receiving as soon as they could walk, so she had to make up for lost time. Lucky for her, she was a natural and a very quick learner. She was completely dedicated to being a Shadowhunter, so while Alec found her annoying 90% of the time, he grudgingly had to respect her for her hard work and dedication. He could see why Jace was so fond of her.

Alec knocked Clary to the ground, then held out a hand to help her back up. "Again," he ordered, swinging at her again. He refused to let up until she had knocked him down. He was just about to knock her down again when he was distracted by his phone ringing and she got the upper hand, knocking him on his back.

"That's cheating," Alec argued from the ground as Clary smirked down at him. He got up and walked over to his phone, grumbling under his breath.

"This better be good," Alec snapped into his phone, not bothering to check the caller ID first.

"Have I called at a bad time?" A familiar voice chimed into the phone. "I understand that, in this day and age, it's customary to wait 3 days before calling, but I simply couldn't wait a minute longer."

Alec stuttered as he realized just who it was who had called him.

"Magnus!" He exclaimed, then lowered his voice as he looked over his shoulder at Clary, who was watching him with a raised eyebrow. "No, it's fine! Sorry! I was just... never mind. It doesn't matter. What's up?"

"I wanted to ask you out for those drinks. How does tonight work for you?" Magnus asked.

"Oh, right. Drinks. Um... yeah, tonight's fine."

"Wonderful!" Magnus exclaimed, then gave Alec his address. Alec echoed it back to him to make sure he had it right.

“Right, well, I should go,” Alec said.

“Yes, of course. I’m sure you’re very busy. I’ll see you tonight.”

“Tonight,” Alec repeated, then hung up the phone, forcing his expression to remain neutral as he turned back to Clary. He should have known she’d see right through it.

"Hot date?" Clary asked as Alec tossed his phone aside and made his way back to her. Alec ignored her and picked up his pole, swinging it at her in order to distract her from the question. And if Clary had him knocked to the ground in under 10 seconds, it had nothing to do with the fact that he was distracted at the prospect of seeing Magnus that night. Nope. Alec was just a great teacher and Clary was a fast learner. It had nothing to do with Magnus at all.

 

* * *

 

Alec was freaking out.

He was officially out of his domain and had no idea what to do and, more specifically, what to wear. What did one wear to a might-possibly-could-be-a-date with an immortal, fabulous warlock with an incredible sense of style? He didn't want to look like he had tried too hard, especially if it turned out to not be a date. But he also wanted to look good... and he had no idea where to start.

He was picking up his phone to call Izzy for back-up when it started ringing. Alec jumped, the sudden noise startling him, and glanced down at the caller ID. It was Jace.

"Alec!" Jace yelled down the line as soon as Alec answered the call. "We've got a bit of a situation here!"

Alec was on instant high-alert. He knew his parabatai had been out patrolling Central Park, and it sounded like he had run into trouble.

"Where are you?" Alec asked, already running out of his room and heading toward the weapons room.

"Shakespeare's garden. Oh, the landscaper is going to be pissed in the morning," Jace exclaimed.

"I'm on my way," Alec said, hanging up and grabbing his bow and arrow and tucking his stele into his pocket. He shot off a quick text to Magnus asking to reschedule as he ran for the elevator. He was sure Magnus would understand.

The next night, Alec actually made it out the door and was on his way to Magnus' before he got distracted by his job.

It figured that he would actually find a decent outfit, get his hair to sit just right, and use a spritz of the best (and only) cologne he owned (Izzy had gotten it for his birthday 3 years ago... he'd never had an occasion to use it before now) only to run into an Eidolon shape-shifting demon as he walked down the noisey Brooklyn streets.

Anyone else may not have even noticed the demon moving swiftly through the crowd, changing from a heavyset, black man into a tall, skinny, white model in the blink of an eye. But Alec was always on alert, always ready at a moment's notice. So while no one else in the crowd noticed, he definitely did.

He quickly veered from his course and started trailing the demon from a distance. He grabbed the small dagger he always kept in his back pocket for unexpected emergencies like this one... although there wasn’t really anything _unexpected_ in Alec’s line of work.

Alec was so focused on the demon he was trailing, making sure he didn’t lose sight of it in case it shifted again without him seeing, that he didn’t notice the man approaching him from behind until it was too late and Alec had already been knocked to the ground.

"Hey! Watch it!" Alec exclaimed, then looked up at who had knocked him over. He cursed as he realized that the demon had friends, and they had spotted Alec a mile away. Alec jumped swiftly to his feet, ready to fight. It was too late now to call for back-up.

Alec quickly swung out with his dagger and struck the demon who had knocked him over, quick to get the upper-hand. That demon taken care of, Alec quickly surveyed the area, taking a mental count of just how many demons he was up against. He spun his dagger in his hand as he counted at least 5 demons, then nodded to himself. He could take them.

A few hours later found Alec limping back to the Institute. It had been a rough night, and two of the demons had gotten away, running once they realized they didn't stand a chance. But Alec counted the fight as a win. He would need to get some Shadowhunters at the institute to track down those runners and dispense of them, though. But it could wait until morning. For now, he needed a warm bath and an iratze rune.

Izzy rushed to his side the second Alec entered the institute. He was sure he looked a mess. From what he could see, his shirt was torn in at least three places, and he could feel blood sticky on his neck. He sighed in relief as Izzy immediately began tracing an iratze rune on him, taking care of the sharp pain he could feel throbbing all over his body.

He thanked her and made his way to his bathroom, running himself a bath with a few bath salts for his sore muscles.

As Alec sank into the tub, he fished his phone out of his pants pocket on the ground next to him and checked his phone for messages.

_I take it you can't make drinks._

Alec swore as he read the message on his phone. The text had been sent from Magnus over two hours ago. He had completely forgotten. Alec quickly typed out a reply, hoping Magnus was still awake and would get his message.

_I'm so sorry. Demon attack._

_Are you ok?_ Magnus replied instantly.

_Nothing an iratze couldn't fix._

_In that case, can we try again tomorrow?_

Alec smiled when he read Magnus' text, relieved he hadn't completely messed everything up.

 _I'd like tha_ _t_ _,_ Alec replied, then dropped his phone to the floor and sank lower into the water. He had deserved the chance to relax for the rest of the night.  

The next day, Alec didn't even make it to lunch before he had to cancel on Magnus. He had just come back upstairs after shooting some arrows when he was stopped by Izzy.

"We just got a call from the Clave. An envoy is on their way over to the institute for a surprise inspection. She'll be here within the hour and would like you to clear your schedule for the rest of the day."

Alec sighed and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Right, ok. I'll go clean up and start getting ready. Be sure to let everyone know," Alec instructed.

Alec made his way to his room to take a quick shower and put on something suitable, but first he had a call to make.

"Alec!" Magnus greeted after a few rings. "What a pleasant surprise. I wasn't expecting to hear from you until tonight."

"About that..." Alec said, reluctantly.

"Let me guess. Demons, again? Or are you going all the way to Idris this time? Shall I prepare a portal?" Magnus asked sarcastically.

"Magnus, it's not like tha-"

"No, Alec. Please, spare me. I'm over 300 years old. I know how to take a hint," Magnus replied shortly, then hung up.

Alec slowly lowered the phone, dropping it onto the bed next to him before lowering his head into his hands. "Dammit!" He shouted out, tugging at his hair.

 

* * *

Alec forced everything that was going on with Magnus out of his mind during the envoy's visit. He had to remain professional and put his duty and job first, as he always did. He would be lying if he said that it wasn't harder than usual to stay focused on the job, but it was what he had to do, regardless of all the thoughts rushing around in his mind.

But the second he laid down to sleep that night, everything came rushing forward in his mind. He was overridden with guilt at the thought that Magnus thought he didn’t want to spend time with him, and that he had been making up excuses just to get out of hanging out. He hated that Magnus thought so poorly of him, and he hated that he had hurt Magnus.

Alec tossed and turned all night, unable to turn his mind off, the guilt weighing heavily on his chest. He let out a groan and gave sleep up as a lost cause when he saw the sun had started to rise outside his window. He grabbed his phone and checked the time. 6 AM. He knew Magnus would probably be sleeping, but he couldn’t wait any longer. He had to clear this up between them.

Alec rolled out of bed and threw on an old sweatshirt and jeans, tucking his dagger into his back pocket out of habit, even though he doubted he would run into any trouble this early in the morning.

It was closing in on 7 in the morning by the time Alec arrived at Magnus’. He hesitated for just a second outside the door, before finally giving in and knocking loudly.

Alec waited for a few minutes and was just about to give it up as a lost cause when Magnus finally answered the door, dressed in a silk nightshirt and matching pants.

The warlock looked half-asleep, but he quickly straightened up, eyes widening as he realized just who it was who had woke him up so early. He brought a hand up to brush back his hair, trying to get the wild locks under control, his other hand smoothing the wrinkles out of his nightshirt.

"You are the last person I expected to see here this morning," Magnus commented, trying to appear nonchalant, but Alec could see right through that.  
  
"I know, and I feel horrible about that. I couldn't sleep last night, and I just had to come over and apologize in person."

Magnus froze in shock, his hand resting at the back of his neck where he had still been smoothing down his hair. "Oh? Go on," he replied, waving his hand to indicate that Alec could continue his apology.  
  
"I really want to be friends with you, Magnus. I'm sorry I kept cancelling, but I swear I wasn't doing it on purpose," Alec insisted earnestly.  
  
"Friends," Magnus simply replied. His smile quickly flickered... so quick that if Alec blinked he would have missed it. But Magnus quickly composed himself again, forcing on a smile.  
  
"Yeah," Alec said lamely, shrugging his shoulders.  
  
Magnus pondered it for a moment, then slowly nodded his head. "Ok."  
  
"Ok? So you forgive me?" Alec asked hopefully.  
  
"Yes, of course."  
  
"Would you like to try for coffee instead? I never get interrupted in the mornings," Alec suggested as a peace offering and to show Magnus how serious he was about this. He wouldn't stand him up again. He really was trying his best.

Magnus chuckled and opened the door wider, allowing Alec into his apartment. Alec smiled widely at Magnus as he shut the door behind him, and Magnus felt his heart thud in a way he hadn't experienced in years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I'm takeme2glasgow on tumblr. I've loved chatting with some of you guys about Shadowhunters over there!
> 
> Thanks for reading! You're all so sweet!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like this chapter, because MALEC! Which we all need after last night's heart-breaking episode of Shadowhunters.

“I’m just going to get dressed…” Magnus said after he shut the door behind Alec. Alec nodded his head and looked around at the apartment, taking in the organized chaos. At least, he assumed the apartment was somehow organized, although he wouldn’t be able to tell you how. “Make yourself at home.”

Alec nodded again and made his way over to the kitchen table, resisting the urge to wander around the apartment and get a closer look at everything. He leaned against the table and scanned the apartment, which was mostly a large, central space- the living room and kitchen were connected, the layout of the apartment open and spacious. There was a hall that led to what Alec assumed was the bedroom, since that was where Magnus had disappeared to. The apartment was nice, and Alec didn’t even want to know how much it cost. It was bright and airy and Magnus had a window open, letting in the cool morning breeze. Alec felt completely at peace here. He was amazed by how comfortable he felt in this unfamiliar space, but everything about it felt strangely homey and welcoming.

He felt like the apartment was a reflection of Magnus; fabulous, expensive furniture tastefully arranged throughout the living room, multiple bookshelves overflowing with old, leather-bound books, various potion bottles on every spare surface, a liquor cabinet that was fully stocked with a range of aged wines and whiskeys (Alec suspected that Magnus had bought each bottle the actual year they had been made and just held onto them) and… a cat.

Alec jumped as something small and furry rubbed up against his leg. He ducked down to see what it was and realized it was a seriously tiny and, frankly, adorable cat. He wasn’t big on animals- he was fond enough of Church, and Church seemed to tolerate him in return. But he was instantly smitten with this little guy. And it appeared the feeling was mutual, as the moment Alec sat down at the table, the tiny cat decided to jump into Alec’s lap.

Alec smiled at the cat and scratched behind his ears. “Hey, little guy,” he murmured softly. The cat began purring loudly and Alec’s grin widened.

“That’s Chairman Meow,” Magnus said, appearing in the doorway of the kitchen, dressed in tight jeans and a silk shirt unbuttoned halfway down his chest, his hair now stylishly spiked.

“What, like the communist?” Alec asked in confusion.

“No, Meow. Not Mao,” Magnus explained. “And I assure you, he’s much cuter than his namesake.”

Alec burst out laughing at that, scratching under Chairman Meow’s chin before the cat jumped down and made his way over to Magnus, rubbing against his leg. Magnus leaned down to pick the Chairman up. He suspected Chairman enjoyed feeling tall.

“I’ve never seen him warm up to anyone that quickly before. He loves you,” Magnus said fondly.  

Magnus rubbed the Chairman’s chin, then set him down on the couch, making his way over to Alec. Alec let his eyes rake over Magnus quickly, taking in his change of clothes. There was no denying that the warlock was attractive and knew how to work an outfit. Alec suspected Magnus was well aware of this, but it didn’t seem to go to his head, unlike Jace. Alec admired that about Magnus- that he was extravagant and fabulous and beautiful, but still down-to-earth, and almost vulnerable, if the way he had been upset by Alec’s dismissal was anything to go by. 

“How do you take your coffee?” Magnus asked. Alec looked around the apartment again, looking for the coffee maker. But he didn’t see one. He didn’t see any kitchen appliances that one would normally find in an apartment, actually.

“Um, black,” Alec said in confusion. “Are we going ou-?“ Alec quickly cut off his question about where they would be going to get their coffee when Magnus snapped his fingers. Alec looked down at his hand and realized he was now holding a coffee cup with a logo on the front from a café in Manhattan.

“Did you just steal that?” Alec asked, narrowing his eyes at Magnus.

“If you must know… then, technically…” Magnus said vaguely, holding his own cup of coffee and waving his free hand in dismissal of Alec’s question.

“You’re a horrible person,” Alec interrupted Magnus’ drawn out explanation, chastising him teasingly.

“I’m a warlock, darling. Not a person.”

“You’re both,” Alec responded, shrugging. He had no idea how meaningful those words were for Magnus to hear from a Shadowhunter.

Magnus smiled to himself and quickly snapped his fingers again, sending a $10 bill to the tip jar at the coffee house he had taken the drinks from.

“There, all paid. I even included a tip,” Magnus said, grinning smugly at Alec as he took a seat at his kitchen table. Alec chuckled and shook his head fondly. They sat in silence for a few moments, enjoying the quiet morning as they sipped their coffees.

“So…” Magnus spoke up once he could feel the caffeine working in his body. “You really weren’t trying to get out of spending time with me the past three days?” Magnus asked, seeking further reassurance from Alec.

“I’m here, aren’t I?” Alec replied simply, shrugging his shoulders.

“You are,” Magnus grinned. He took another sip of his coffee. “And you must be exhausted all the time, if every day is that chaotic for you. I understand that you’re a very busy man, but don’t you ever want time for yourself?”

 “I don’t mind. It’s what I was born and trained to do. And I worked hard for the position at the Institute, so I don’t want to mess that up,” Alec explained.

“But you should be out there having a social life… going to parties…”

“I don’t really like parties.”

“Have you ever been to one?” Magnus countered.

“Well… no, not exactly. But-“

“And dates! Oh, dates are lovely.”

“Never been on one of those, either,” Alec mumbled quietly, his cheeks turning red with embarrassment.

Magnus froze, his gaze turning soft as he looked over at Alec. He reached over and laid a hand on top of Alec’s. “That’s nothing to be embarrassed about. You’re out and open, yes?”

“Yes,” Alec said, speaking up louder. That was one thing he wasn’t ashamed about. Not anymore. It had taken him a few years to get there, but the acceptance from the Clave and from his sister had helped him in accepting who he was. And now it was something he embraced and was proud of. 

“Then give it time. You’ll meet the right person and you’ll just… you’ll know.”

Alec blushed and tried to ignore the sparks he could feel shooting up his hand where Magnus was touching him. He nodded his head and gently pulled his hand away, wrapping it around his coffee cup.

“My siblings keep trying to set me up on dates. Sometimes I think it might be nice, but I’d prefer to fall in love more… I don’t know, organically, I guess?” Alec admitted.

Magnus ignored the hard thud in his chest that his heart made at Alec’s words.  “That’s admirable.”

Alec looked up from his coffee cup and smiled at Magnus. Magnus swore he had never seen anything as beautiful as that smile – it lit up Alec’s whole face, brought life to his eyes, and made the world feel like a better and happier place. He couldn’t help but smile back. Alec’s eyes met Magnus’ and held them for a few seconds while they smiled at one another, but he quickly realized what he was doing and cleared his throat, glancing away.

“I should probably get going,” Alec said, swallowing the last few drops of coffee.

“What’s the rush?” Magnus asked, hesitant to see Alec go. He found Alec’s honesty refreshing, and was genuinely enjoying spending time with him.

“I train every morning. Running, boxing, hand-to-hand combat, arrows… all the basics,” Alec explained. Magnus let his eyes run down Alec’s body, and he found the proof of what Alec was saying right before his eyes. Alec was gorgeous, had an amazing body, and it was clear how hard he worked at staying strong.

“Are you sure I can’t persuade you to stay just a bit longer?” Magnus asked.

Alec smiled wistfully at him and stood from his seat at the table. “I wish,” Alec replied with complete honesty. “This was nice.”

Magnus had never agreed with anything more. He was already sure that he could happily spend every morning for the rest of his immortal life with Alec in this exact same manner. He had never settled down and been domestic with anyone, partly because no one had ever bothered, but something about Alec made him want to try. And that scared the hell out of him.

“Dinner!” Magnus yelled suddenly as Alec made his way to the front door. When Alec turned around, Magnus was blushing and muttering to his cat, who seemed to be showing no sympathy for Magnus’ embarrassment. 

“Um… what about it?” Alec asked, chuckling at Magnus’ exclamation.

“Have dinner. With me. Tomorrow. I promise to be understanding if something comes up this time.”

Alec smiled at Magnus, then nodded his head. “And I promise to do everything I can to actually show up,” he replied. 

Magnus beamed at Alec and opened the door with a flick of his wrist, causing Alec to jump back in surprise, both of them laughing at his reaction to the door seemingly opening on its own.

Alec paused before shutting the door behind him, turning around to shoot Magnus one last smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

* * *

 

Alec spent the rest of the day with a smile on his face. He couldn’t remember the last time he had talked to someone about something other than demons, or just enjoyed a few moments of peace. But having coffee with Magnus that morning- he had felt so comfortable. He couldn’t believe how easy it was to joke back and forth and talk so openly with someone he had just met. But something about Magnus was so inviting and felt so familiar, like they had been friends for years instead of a few days. Alec supposed that sometimes you met someone and just instantly clicked with them, and that seemed to be the case with Magnus. And his sense of humor… he’d always found Izzy and Jace funny, but Magnus was just… unexpected. Magnus was hilarious and relatable and easy to talk to and warm and kind. Alec hadn’t smiled so much since…

“Earth to Alec!” Izzy sang, snapping her fingers in front of Alec’s face, trying to get his attention.

Alec jumped and flinched away, startled out of his thoughts. “What?!” He yelped, then smiled sheepishly at his sister in apology.

“I’ve been trying to get your attention for like, the last ten minutes,” Isabelle replied.

He had wrapped up his meeting debriefing Izzy, Jace, and a few other members of the Institute about the envoy’s visit a few minutes before. He thought everyone had left the meeting room before he got lost in his thoughts, but apparently Izzy had hung back to talk to him.

“Sorry. What’s up?” Alec asked. 

“What are you doing tomorrow night?” Izzy inquired. 

“Nothing,” Alec lied quickly, briefly wondering if Clary had created a rune that let Izzy read his mind. But no, he was just being paranoid. It had to be just a coincidence that Izzy was asking him about tomorrow night right as he had been daydreaming about it.

“Great! Then you can go on a date with Thomas! He’s so cute, just your type.”

“I don’t have a type, Izzy.”

“Only because you never date!”

Alec ignored her response. “I’m not going on a date with Thomas.”

“And why not?” Izzy countered.

“Because I don’t even know who Thomas _is_! You can tell him thanks, but no thanks.” 

“But you just said you’re not doing anything tomorrow night. Why can’t you just give him a chance?” 

Alec groaned and ran a hand through his hair frustratedly. “I lied,” he mumbled. 

“What was that?” 

Alec sighed and dropped his hand. “I said I lied, ok?” 

“Ok… so then what _are_ you doing?” 

“I’m having dinner with a friend,” Alec said, trying to be as vague as possible. 

“But you don’t have any friends.” 

“Thanks, Izzy,” Alec snapped, sarcastically.

“No, sorry, I just meant that _we’re_ your friends. Me and Jace,” Izzy explained. 

“Well, now I have another friend.” 

“Who?” Alec should have known that Izzy wouldn’t relent until she had all the details.

“None of your business, that’s who.” 

“Alec!” Izzy cried out in frustration. 

“It’s just…” Alec sighed, cutting off his sentence. “Don’t overreact, ok?” 

Izzy mimed zipping her lips shut. Alec rolled his eyes at her.

“It’s… Magnus Bane.” 

“Magnus Bane?!” Izzy shrieked, forgetting her promise to be quiet. “As in, the High Warlock of Brooklyn, Magnus Bane?!”

“It’s not exactly a common name, Izzy. Who else would I be talking about?” 

“But still! Magnus Bane! He’s… he’s so…”

“Drop it, Izzy,” Alec cut her off. 

“No, it’s a good thing! Good surprise, I promise. I’m happy for you. It’s about time you got a social life,” Izzy teased.

Alec rolled his eyes at his little sister again, but spared her a fond smile. She always had his best interests at heart, even if she could be a bit annoying at times.

Alec opened his mouth to respond to Izzy when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He fished it out and blushed as he looked down at the screen.

“Oh my God, that’s him, isn’t it?!” Izzy squealed.

“Izzy, shut up,” Alec warned, but he could feel the blush spreading across his face, his cheeks turning bright red.

“You like him!” Izzy squealed some more, her eyes widening with realization.

“Izzy!” Alec cried out in exasperation, stuffing his phone back in his pocket, desperate now to change the topic.

“No, please, by all means. Don’t mind me. You just text your boyfriend,” she teased, her eyes shining with mischief. 

“He’s not my boyfriend.” 

“Well, not yet, anyway,” Izzy grinned. 

“Izzy…” Alec groaned again.

“I have to go call Clary and tell her everything!” 

“Don’t you dare!” Alec shouted, but Izzy had already darted out of the room, laughing maniacally as she ran away.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Shadowhunters Day! And yay for a second season!!!!!!
> 
> I made a playlist for this fic...  
> Chapter 1: Something Changed // Pulp  
> Chapter 2: Blank Space // Ryan Adams  
> Chapter 3: Come On // A Great Big World  
> Chapter 4: Love Like Ghosts // Lord Huron  
> Chapter 5: Fire Meet Gasoline // Sia  
> Chapter 6: I've Got This Friend // The Civil Wars

Alec was walking down the streets of Brooklyn when he spotted it. The long, black body covered in scales, the deadly tip of its barbed tail whipping back and forth as it disappeared into a dark alley. Alec only saw it for a second before it ducked around a corner, but he would recognize the demon anywhere- a Ravener. Raveners were pack demons that brutally assassinated anyone they came in contact with. And where there was one Ravener, there were always at least two more nearby.

Alec let out an audible groan. He was on his way to dinner with Magnus; he was only ten minutes away, in fact. He was so close, yet something always seemed to get in his way.

Alec wondered if this was a sign that he just wasn’t meant to spend time with the warlock, which he quickly dismissed as a crazy thought. Then he momentarily considered just ignoring the demon, before realizing that was an even crazier thought and quickly dismissed it, too.

He groaned again as he accepted that this was something he was going to have to deal with, whether he wanted to or not, and fished his phone out of his pocket. He was going to make it to this dinner, no matter what. But he would need to give Magnus a heads-up that he was running late so he didn’t think he was being stood up again.

“I’m not canceling,” Alec said as way of greeting the second Magnus answered the phone, earning a laugh in response.

“Then to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?” Magnus asked.

“I’m simply running late.”

“And does your tardiness have anything to do with demons?” Magnus asked. Alec could practically hear the smirk over the phone.

“Maybe…”

“Do you need back-up?”

“No, I’ve got it. I’ll see you soon…ish.” Alec sighed as he hung up the phone, then grasped his dagger firmly in his hand as he made his way to the alley.

 

* * *

Alec arrived at the diner an hour late, his clothes torn and sweat-stained, dried blood caked onto his skin, and a few gashes scattered about his arms where the Ravener’s tail had swiped him. He was grateful they had decided to meet at a Downworlder diner, where the sight of him wouldn’t be as startling as it would be in a mundane restaurant.

Magnus jumped up from the booth, where he had been twirling a straw around an empty glass while he waited for Alec to arrive, the second he spotted Alec. He ran to his side, his fingers already producing blue sparks, ready to work their healing magic on Alec’s wounds. Magnus ignored Alec’s protestations that he was fine and began healing the gashes on his arms, as they looked more serious than any of his other wounds.

“Magnus, really, I’m ok,” Alec complained needlessly.

“You’re bleeding all over the place,” Magnus argued. He swept a hand down Alec’s body, who jumped in surprise at the unexpected touch. He looked down at himself to see what Magnus was doing and was surprised to see that all the blood had disappeared from his body. He still looked a complete mess, though.

“I’m sorry… this is so not how I wanted tonight to go,” Alec sighed, gently pushing Magnus away now that his cuts were healed. He made his way over to the booth Magnus had been occupying before he arrived. He gently lowered himself into the booth, his body crying out in pain. He would definitely be sore in the morning, despite Magnus’ healing magic. But he knew Magnus’ magic would still make a huge difference in his recovery, and he was grateful, if not a bit embarrassed.

“Oh? And how did you want it to go, then?” Magnus asked as he followed Alec over to the booth, taking a seat across from him. He waved for the waiter to bring them fresh glasses of water.

“Well, I thought my shirt would be in one piece, for one,” Alec said, pulling self-consciously at the torn fabric of his shirt.

“Personally, I think that’s a great look for you,” Magnus teased, indicating the giant tear in the middle of the shirt, showing off Alec’s six-pack.

Alec rolled his eyes, but gave Magnus a blinding smile when the warlock waved a hand, making the destroyed shirt disappear and a new one take its place.

“Where’d you get this one from, then?” Alec asked, looking down at the black shirt with sequins decorating it in the shape of tigers. It wasn’t exactly Alec’s style, but at least it didn’t have grime and sweat on it, and it was all in one piece, so he wasn't about to complain.

“I didn’t steal it, if that’s what you’re insinuating. It came from my closet.

Besides,” Magnus continued. “You think _this_ night is bad? This is nothing. One time, I had to escape from a party in an invisible hot air balloon with Marie Antoinette in tow. _That_ was a night that didn’t go how I had planned.”

“Wait… you… what?!” Alec asked in amazement.

Magnus just smirked and took a sip of his drink- he was sticking to water tonight. For the first time in a long time, Magnus didn't feel the desire to drink; especially when he was in Alec’s company. He wanted to be completely aware and cognizant of every minute spent with the man sitting across from him.

“I don’t have any crazy stories like that…” Alec sighed. “Which I think I’m actually happy about.”

“Well, when you’ve lived as long as I have…”

“True. Although my brother, Jace, always seems to find himself in these ridiculous situations that I have to get him out of. One time, he was kidnapped by a couple of fey in the park. Apparently, they wanted to keep him as a sex slave.”

Magnus choked on his drink, then burst out laughing as he caught his breath. “No!” Magnus gasped in amazement.

“I’m completely serious. I had to go down there and help him escape, but we got caught, so I had to pretend to be his boyfriend when the fey wouldn’t let him go. Jace kissed me right on the mouth and swore to the fey that he could never belong to another. So, they let him go.”

“You kissed your brother?” Magnus asked, raising an eyebrow at Alec.

“Oh! God, no. _Adopted_ brother. But what’s worse is that I actually had a bit of a crush on him then, so I couldn’t look him in the eye for like a week after that. Izzy thought it was hilarious, the brat.”

“So what changed?”

“I guess I just finally realized that he was the safest option to have a crush on. And that’s all it was; a crush- it was never real, no matter how much I thought it was at the time. We were both so young and he’s gorgeous and was just right there… but I eventually grew out of it once I realized that I didn’t need to hide who I was and that I had real options out there.”

“But you never dated any of those real options,” Magnus pointed out.

“I guess I just never had time. I haven't really thought about it,” Alec shrugged.

“And now?” Magnus asked.

“For the right guy, I would make time,” Alec said shyly, staring down at his plate.

Magnus blushed at Alec’s words, although Alec didn’t see. Magnus wondered if Alec even realized what he was doing to him- the effect he had on him.

They were briefly interrupted while they placed their orders, and then Magnus took a few more minutes to fuss over Alec and make sure he was feeling ok and wasn’t hurting too much from his fight. Alec wasn’t used to someone fussing over him so much. It was different… but he kind of enjoyed feeling so cared for.

“So…” Alec said, turning the conversation away from him after Magnus had finished checking him for any more wounds and forced him to drink a whole glass of water to re-hydrate. “What’s the story behind you and Raphael? It seemed like there was some history there.”

“Not much to tell,” Magnus said, brushing off Alec's inquiry.

“How long have you known him?”

“Since he was fifteen,” Magnus replied.

“Ha ha,” Alec deadpanned. “He's always been fifteen.”

“Yes, well, I met him when he was barely fifteen.”

“Wait... you mean you knew him before he became a vampire?” Alec asked in surprise.

“No, not quite. I was too late,” Magnus sighed. “His mother asked me to find him. I fancied myself a detective at the time... I was bored,” Magnus explained. “But I was too late.”

“Magnus...” Alec breathed. “You can't blame yourself for that. And surely Raphael doesn't blame you, either.”

“No, he doesn't. Beneath all of that grumpiness, I do believe he has a heart... even if it is no longer beating,” Magnus joked. He sighed again, playing with the napkin on the table in front of him, frustratedly tearing it into pieces. “It's been fifty years,” he finally choked out.  “But sometimes I think, if I had just gotten there sooner... if I had acted more quickly...”

Alec ran a hand through his hair, searching for the right words. He knew how Magnus felt, though. He completely understood. “Look... in my line of work... _our_ line of work, you're always going to have a moment in your life where you think 'what if?' It comes with the territory. We have to act fast and the consequences can be deadly. You just... you can't let it get to you. There are going to be losses. We just have to find a way to get through them.”

Magnus stared at Alec in open admiration and felt himself fall just a little bit in love. He reached out and laid a hand on top of Alec's.

“You're wise beyond your years, Alexander Lightwood,” Magnus murmured gently, caressing the back of Alec's hand with his thumb, soothing over the skin. 

“I'm just speaking from experience,” Alec sighed. “We live a hard life... but it's the only life we've got.”

Alec turned his hand over and held Magnus' in his, staring at the contrasting skin- Magnus' nails painted perfectly, the skin soft and smooth, a few shades darker than his own, callused skin. He jumped when he felt Magnus squeeze his hand, suddenly realizing what he had done. He yanked his hand back and dropped it in his lap, blushing.

“Anyway,” Alec said, clearing his throat. “Raphael may be grumpy all the time, but he saved my sister's boyfriend, so I guess I respect him a bit for that.”

“Your sister's boyfriend?” Magnus asked, pulling his hand back across the table and wrapping his long fingers around his water glass. He wouldn’t push Alec, no matter how much he longed for his touch. He could be patient.

“Simon. He was nearly killed when he was fifteen. He's Clary's best friend... she's dating my brother, Jace. She was out on one of her first missions and Simon didn't want to leave her alone... not that she was alone. She was with Jace. But Simon felt it was his responsibility to go with her. He’s an idiot, mind you. He got kidnapped by some vampires. They brought him to the Dumont, where an old vampire named Camille got a hold of him.”

“Camille?” Magnus echoed.

“Yeah, do you know of her?”

“I dated her,” Magnus shrugged.

Alec's eyes widened. “Oh... um... I mean, I didn't know. I... umm... I don't know how to say this...”

“If you're trying to find a gentle way to inform me that she has died, then it's ok. I already know.”

Alec let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank god.”

“I assume it had something to do with the exact incident you were telling me about?”

“It does. She got caught killing Simon by Raphael, who changed him into a vampire before it was too late. Raphael turned Camille over to us and she was charged with breaking the accords... and was burned. That's when Raphael became the head of the New York clan.”

Magnus nodded his head. “Yes, I had heard that. The news reached me while I was in London. I must say I agree completely with the decision to make Raphael the new leader. He was always a natural born leader, even when he was _actually_ fifteen. Stubborn, strong-minded, bossy...”

“I'm sorry about your ex, though,” Alec said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

“Don't be. It's very much a thing of the past. It's sad to think back on, but I've experienced more difficult losses in my life, and I can only imagine that I will experience more in the years to come.”

Alec cleared his throat awkwardly. “Well... this took a sad turn,” he tried to joke.

Magnus slowly broke out into a smile, chuckling quietly. “You're right. You're easy to talk to, though,” Magnus replied.

“You too. I mean, I can talk to Izzy about anything, but she always has something to say in return. But you just listen.”

“Yes, well, I find you fascinating,” Magnus said, staring into Alec's eyes. Alec returned his gaze, and Magnus could see his smile reflected back at him.

“Speaking of fascinating, I want to hear more about you and Marie Antoinette,” Alec said, grinning at Magnus.

Magnus and Alec continued swapping stories as the night wore on, Magnus telling elaborate tales from his past and Alec telling him about the different fights he'd experienced. They swapped jokes and laughed until their sides ached. They discussed trivial thoughts that popped into their minds, for once not having to filter or over-think every little thing, trusting that the other would appreciate what they had to say and wouldn't judge. They enjoyed the few moments of silence that naturally fell between them, until one of them voiced another random thought they'd had, causing a new conversation to start fresh. They never once grew tired of the other's company or lacked for anything to talk about. Hours passed without either of them even noticing, too caught up in one another to worry about the time.

“The sun's coming up,” Alec said in amazement as he glanced out the window. He let out a yawn and stretched his arms over his head, his borrowed shirt riding up and revealing his chiseled stomach. Magnus chanced a quick glance to admire the man sitting across from him.

“Indeed it is,” Magnus replied, equally surprised, looking quickly to the window when Alec turned back to him, not wanting to get caught staring. “I suppose I'd better get home and check up on Chairman Meow.”

“Tell him I say hello,” Alec said, smiling. Magnus grinned back, charmed by Alec's kindness.

“I will. I swear he's been pining since you left our home yesterday morning.”

“ _Our_ home? So he runs the house as much as you do?” Alec teased.

“More than,” Magnus sighed.

Alec chuckled as he stood from the booth, hesitant to leave. But if he left now, he might be able to get a short nap before he had to start training. He just felt so relaxed in Magnus’ company. Magnus was quickly becoming one of his best friends, despite having only known one another for a short time. He opened his mouth to speak, but couldn’t get a word out before Magnus quickly blurted, “I'd like to do this again. Soon.”

“I'd like that, too,” Alec replied immediately, with no hesitation. He'd never felt a bond or closeness like this with anyone. He craved more time with Magnus. He would take every minute he could get, and he was pleased that Magnus seemed to feel the same way.

“Can I walk you home?” Magnus asked, not wanting to part any more than Alec did. At this point, he was just drawing out their departure, milking it for all it was worth. 

Alec wanted nothing more, but he knew Magnus lived nearby, so he hated for the warlock to go out of his way, even if he could probably just portal back home from the institute. But he also wanted to sneak back into the institute so he wouldn’t get questioned by Izzy about where he’d been all night, and it would be easier to do that if he arrived back home alone.

“I appreciate the offer, but it’s not necessary,” Alec said. He was sure Magnus could see the longing to spend more time with him plain on his face, though.

“As you wish,” Magnus replied, worrying his lip between his teeth. He finally took a deep breath and leaned up to drop a quick kiss to Alec’s cheek, causing both their faces to turn bright red. “I’ll talk to you soon,” Magnus said, then made a quick departure out of the diner, leaving Alec frozen in shock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My tumblr name changed! You can now find me at rafaellightwood-bane!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! Life has been super busy lately. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

After a few days of near constant texting during every spare moment they had, Magnus finally couldn’t take it anymore and decided that he needed to see Alec again in person.

He thought it might be fun to surprise Alec, and he remembered him mentioning that he trained every morning at the Institute. So Magnus set an early alarm (and only hit snooze three times before Chairman Meow grew irritated of the beeping and pounced on him, forcing him to finally roll out of bed), fixed his hair and make-up to perfection, spent an agonizing hour choosing just the right outfit, and made his way down to the Institute.

However, when Magnus stepped off of the elevator and entered the training room, it was not Alec who greeted him, but the matured face of a young girl he would never forget.

“Clarissa?!” Magnus exclaimed.

Clary’s head jerked toward the door, distracted from her training session with Alec by the voice calling her name. It took her a second to place where she had seen the face before, it was so deeply buried in her memories. But when it hit her who it was she was looking at, her eyes narrowed angrily.

“You!” Clary shrieked, throwing her pole to the ground and storming toward Magnus, away from Alec, who was standing frozen in shock, both from Magnus’ surprise appearance and Clary’s outburst, sweat dripping down his face from the intense training session. “What are you doing here?!”

“Hello, Alexander,” Magnus said, quickly looking past Clary at Alec, who was wearing a thin white tank top and sweatpants… he looked divine.

“Hey, Magnus. You two know each other?” Alec asked in confusion, setting down his own pole and walking over to stand by Clary, both of them now right in front of Magnus.

“Yes. Why do _you_ two know each other?” Clary asked, spinning around and glaring at Alec now, her hands on her hips. He raised an eyebrow at her in confusion.

“Does someone want to explain what’s going on?” Alec asked, looking back and forth between Clary and Magnus.

“I see your memories returned, Clarissa,” Magnus said cheerfully, trying to diffuse the tension.

"No thanks to you," Clary snapped. “How could you?!”

"Wait, you're the warlock who took her memories?" Alec asked, realization dawning on his face.

"Her mother paid well,” Magnus shrugged. “Though, I admit, it wasn't one of my finest moments. But Clarissa, you can't fault your mother for wanting you to grow up having a normal childhood. After the incident with Lucian and that werewolf..."

"I don't blame her,” Clary interrupted. “I forgave her years ago, when she accepted that this is what I wanted to be."

"So when you went to London...?" Alec asked, still piecing it all together.

"My memories returned gradually without my regular visits to him,” Clary finished. “Everything he stole from me came back.”

“Yes, I'm sure Jocelyn must have been furious to find that I had disappeared. But, when London calls your name..." Magnus said, sighing wistfully. Alec grinned despite the situation.

"Ok, you two. I think this reunion is over. Clary, let's see some of that aggression in your fighting,” Alec said, stepping between Magnus and Clary and gently pushing Clary back toward the training mat.

Clary glared once more at Magnus; Alec could tell she had a lot more she wanted to say to him, and he was sure none of it was pleasant. And, to be honest, Alec had a lot he wanted to say, too… mostly about how incredible Magnus looked right now… but they had to focus on the task at hand: Clary’s training.

Magnus drifted over to the corner of the room and made himself at home, content to watch Alec’s muscles flex and stretch as he fought with Clary. He was impressed by what he saw; not just of Alec’s incredibly toned body, but of Alec’s teaching skills and patience and knack for explaining what needed changing and improving, not to mention his own quick reflexes when blocking Clary’s blows. He was a good teacher, and he couldn’t believe how talented Clary had become at fighting after just a few short years- he was sure much of it had to be a direct result of Alec’s influence and training.

Magnus smiled as Alec got distracted sneaking a quick glance at him, the brief second of distraction allowing Clary to knock him off his feet. He would never admit that he saw Alec looking at him- he didn’t want to embarrass the poor boy. But he was flattered, nonetheless. He had worked hard picking out this outfit, and he grinned smugly to himself knowing that it was having the desired effect.

“Ok, I think we’re done for today,” Alec groaned from the ground. He jumped to his feet as swift as a cat and took Clary’s pole away from her, heading across the room to store the weapons. “Good work today, Clary.”

“Thanks,” Clary smiled, then turned to make her way out of the room, glaring at Magnus as she passed him by.

“That was an impressive display,” Magnus complimented once Clary had left the training room, the door shutting firmly behind her. Alec grabbed a towel and wiped his face, then rubbed it through his hair, causing his dark locks to stand every which way.

“What are you doing here?” Alec asked, coming to stand in front of Magnus.

“Can’t I just decide to pay you a surprise visit?”

“I mean… umm… I guess?” Alec replied in confusion.

“I wanted to see you again,” Magnus said, spelling it out for Alec, who blushed, but gave Magnus a soft smile.

“Oh,” Alec mumbled, not used to receiving so much attention.

“Should I not have come?” Magnus asked slowly, nervous of the answer he would get.

“No! I mean, no, you should not _not_ have come. I mean… yes, I’m glad you’re here,” Alec quickly replied, staring down at his shoes and mentally slapping himself on the head for sounding like an idiot.

Magnus smiled at Alec and reached out to take his hand. Alec gasped and looked up when he felt Magnus’ electrifying touch. He smiled and squeezed Magnus’ hand, but quickly dropped it like it was on fire when the door suddenly burst open. He took a quick step backward, trying to look innocent, even though he knew his flushed face was probably giving him away.

“Clary said you were in here with a boy!” Izzy squealed as she ran into the room, Jace right behind her. They were like over-excited children on Christmas morning.

Alec’s blush deepened at the humiliating scene his siblings were causing, but Magnus handled it with grace, extending his hand to introduce himself, seemingly un-fazed by their sudden appearance. “I’m Magnus Bane. You must be Alec’s siblings.”

Izzy’s eyes widened with recognition and she grasped Magnus’ hand in hers, squeezing it in excitement. “Oh my god, Alec! You didn’t tell me how _gorgeous_ he is!” She declared, eying Magnus up and down in appreciation.

“By the Angel…” Alec groaned, wishing the earth would just open up underneath him.

“I’m Isabelle, but you can call me Izzy. And that’s our brother, Jace.”

Magnus glanced at Jace and nodded curtly at him. He could see how Alec would have had a crush on the boy… not that he was Magnus’ type at all. He preferred darker hair and blue eyes. He couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous, though, that this man had received Alec’s affections before, even if it was just a silly, school-boy crush from years ago.

“I’ve heard so much about you,” Izzy gushed.

“No, she hasn’t!” Alec squeaked.

“Is that so?” Magnus purred, grinning evilly at Alec and winking at him, earning a giggle from Izzy.

“I hate all of you,” Alec announced.

“Magnus, we have get to know one another. Jace and Alec normally have lunch now, anyway, and I’d kill for a coffee. There’s this cute little café down the block… we have _so_ much to talk about,” Izzy rambled on and on excitedly as she physically dragged a reluctant Magnus out of the room. He looked back at Alec as he was being pulled out the door, silently asking if it was ok for him to leave. Alec shrugged his shoulders in response. He knew he couldn’t stop Izzy once she got going like this, no matter how much he wanted to. And then, just like that, Magnus and Izzy were gone.

The silence echoed through the room as Jace and Alec were left standing alone, Alec awkwardly scuffing his shoe against the wooden floor.

“So…” Jace began, a devilish tone to his voice.

“Not a word,” Alec snapped, storming out of the training room and heading straight for the kitchen.

 

* * *

  

“You like him,” Jace said without preamble as he sat down at the kitchen table. Apparently, he expected Alec to make their lunch again but, instead, Alec dropped into the seat across from Jace and hung his head in his hands.

“Am I that obvious?” Alec groaned in embarrassment.

“You’re not obvious enough,” Jace argued. “He likes you, too, but-“

“No, he doesn’t,” Alec argued, cutting Jace off.

“He does.”

“He couldn’t,” Alec insisted.

“I’m telling you, he does. Who has more experience with these kinds of things?” Jace asked pointedly.

“Izzy,” Alec answered, just to be difficult.

“Besides her,” Jace replied, rolling his eyes. Alec let out a sigh. “That’s right. Me. And I’m telling you that he likes you.”

“He’s so glamorous, though. He’s completely out of my league.”

“And yet, he still likes you.” Jace teased.

Alec stuck his tongue out at Jace. He knew it was immature, but sometimes his little brother was just so annoying.

“Alec, I don’t know how you haven’t realized this yet, but you’re a total catch. He’d be crazy not to like you,” Jace insisted, all traces of teasing and jokes gone.

“You really think so?” Alec asked, not quite daring to hope.

“Dude, he’s pining. It was all over his face every time he looked at you. You’ve got to throw him a bone, man.”

“What, like flirt with him?” Alec asked, incredulously.

“Exactly like flirt with him.”

“But I don’t know how to flirt. That’s Izzy’s thing. And yours.”

“So I’ll teach you,” Jace shrugged.

“No,” Alec replied shortly. There was no way that was happening. The last thing he would ever resort to was dating advice from his brother. No way.

“Aw, come on! It’ll be fun.”

“Nope. Not gonna happen.”

“Please!” Jace whined, pouting up at his brother.

“You’re such a nuisance,” Alec grumbled, running a hand frustratedly through his hair.  

“Is that a yes?”

“No.”

“You’re no fun,” Jace complained.

“Exactly,” Alec said, grinning at Jace, who rolled his eyes at him.

“Fine,” Jace sighed. “Magnus seems to like you even though you’re boring, so you should be fine without my help, I guess…”

Alec punched Jace on the shoulder.

“Go be useful and make us lunch, little brother,” Alec ordered.

 

* * *

 

_So that was an interesting lunch date._

Alec groaned as he read the text message from Magnus. He had run to his room the second he was done with lunch with Jace. He was so eager to talk to Magnus and find out how much damage control he would have to do. And after seeing that text from Magnus, he decided a phone call would probably be his best bet at this point.

The phone only rang once before Magnus answered.

“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

“What exactly is it that you’re apologizing for?” Magnus asked, chuckling.

“You came all the way to the institute to see me and my sister dragged you away and forced you to have lunch with her, and did I mention I’m sorry?”

“She was delightful, Alexander. There’s no need to apologize,” Magnus reassured.

“…What did she say?” Alec asked hesitantly. He was afraid of the answer.

“She mostly talked about herself, asked me questions about my life, told me a few stories from your childhood… Nothing too terrible, I promise. Whatever you’re thinking, just stop. There’s no need to worry.”

"Are you sure?” Alec asked anxiously.

“I promise.”

“All these years she’s tried setting me up on dates, and the second I have a boy over she steals him away. Typical.”

Magnus laughed loudly in response. And of course the warlock would find humor in Alec’s misery. Alec rolled his eyes, even though Magnus couldn’t see.

“You two are going to be the death of me, aren’t you?” Alec groaned.

“Now what would give you an idea like that?” Magnus asked playfully.

“You already have plans to hang out again, don’t you?” Alec sighed dejectedly, jokingly giving Magnus a hard time. He was actually happy that his sister and Magnus were getting along. He couldn't imagine ever spending time with someone his sister didn't like 

“Maybe…” Magnus teased. “Which brings me back to my purpose for coming by the institute in the first place this morning. I wanted to see you. And since we were interrupted…”

“I wanted to see you, too,” Alec agreed, blurting the words out before he could over-think it.

Alec held his breath as he was greeted with silence. “…Magnus?” Alec asked nervously.

Magnus cleared his throat. “Yes, sorry. I’m here.”

“Alec!” Izzy called suddenly, knocking on Alec’s bedroom door. “I’m back from lunch! You in there?”

Alec sighed, frustrated with his sister’s poor timing.

“Izzy’s here… I have to go.”

“I understand. Can I see you again soon?” Magnus asked.

“Yes, of course.”

“Great. It’s a date,” Magnus replied, then hung up, leaving Alec reeling once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not crazy about this chapter... oh well.


	8. Chapter 8

Although Alec had no idea how to flirt, and had no desire to learn (especially from Jace), he decided it was time for him to be bold. He was ready to make time in his life for someone else and, if Jace and Izzy were right, he might actually have the very person he wanted within his reach. So when he woke up the next morning and all he could think about was how much he wanted to see Magnus again, he decided he would just go for it. He would follow a whim and spend time with someone just for fun, not because it was expected of him or part of his duties. Today, he was going to take the day off. He felt he had earned it.

Alec had never had friends outside of the Clave before, and the only boy he knew his own age was Jace. But with the introduction of Magnus into his life, he saw a new, endless horizon of possibilities. They had been texting non-stop since they had dinner together the week before. Magnus always sent him pictures of Chairman Meow and other things he saw around the city that he thought Alec would enjoy, and Alec would text him his random thoughts throughout the day, never feeling the need to over-think or filter what was on his mind; Magnus always seemed to understand, and it was scary how easily he could make Alec smile with just a picture or a witty joke.

And after seeing Magnus in person again yesterday, he could feel the magnetic pull towards him stronger than ever. Magnus was funny and magnificent and glamorous and adorable… Alec was in so deep and he had no idea when it had even happened. All he knew, when he opened his eyes that morning, though, was that he had to see him again.

So Alec rolled out of bed and quietly snuck out of the Institute, instructing Church to not tell anyone where he’d gone. He knew it would be a while before anyone noticed his absence anyway, since he went running in the park every morning. But he wanted to buy all the extra time he could without any disturbances.

Alec made his way toward Magnus’ apartment, enjoying the peace and quiet on the streets of New York- a quiet that only came that early in the morning, the sun just peeking over the tops of buildings. It was why Alec enjoyed running outdoors so early every morning; he could go out and run without using a glamour rune and without people staring at him. The city was a completely different place while its inhabitants were still sleeping- the craziness and franticness and rush of people gone, replaced by a peaceful calm.

Alec popped into a 24-hour coffee shop on his way to Magnus’ then hurried the rest of the way to the apartment. He was jittery already without the caffeine in his system, just from the thought of seeing Magnus again, bu the knew Magnus would appreciate the coffee after being woken so early in the morning.

Alec took one final, deep, stuttering breath before he rang Magnus’ buzzer, his heart racing in his chest. He was greeted by a long and drawn-out silence. He nervously bit his lip and rang the buzzer again after a minute had passed. More silence.

He began to panic. What if Magnus was out with someone else? What if he went out last night with someone taller and handsome and funny? He was probably tired of Alec stuttering and making a fool out of himself all the time. By the Angel, Alec felt like an idiot. Here he was ringing Magnus’ buzzer first thing in the morning when the warlock most likely didn’t even want to see him. He was just about to give up and run away when he heard shouting from the other side of the door. “Do you have any idea what time- Alec!” Magnus exclaimed as he swung the door open and saw who was standing on the other side. He reached out and placed his hand gently on Alec’s arm. “Is everything ok? What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see you, remember?” Alec reminded Magnus, shrugging his shoulders, trying to appear more nonchalant than he was feeling. He felt like an idiot now, showing up unannounced and disturbing Magnus while he was trying to sleep. He had decided to be impulsive, but now he wasn’t so sure he had made the right choice. “So that's what I'm doing... if that's ok with you... I mean, I’m sorry I woke you, I didn’t think…”

“Of course it's ok with me, Alexander,” Magnus quickly reassured, interrupting Alec and squeezing his arm gently. Alec blushed as he looked down at Magnus' hand, so he quickly pulled away so Alec wouldn't be embarrassed. But Alec surprised him by reaching out to grab his hand in his. Magnus jolted in surprise, looking up at Alec with wide eyes. Alec shrugged again, and Magnus smiled so wide his cheeks began to hurt. Alec smiled back, regaining his confidence once more. He felt like he could do anything as long as Magnus kept looking at him like that.

“I brought coffee,” Alec announced, pulling the cardboard container holding their coffee cups out from behind his back. “I paid for it and everything,” Alec teased, causing Magnus to roll his eyes jokingly. Magnus tugged Alec into the kitchen by the hand, feeling giddy at being allowed to touch him. They sat at either side of the table and Magnus groaned in delight at how lovely the coffee tasted.

Alec had seen Magnus like this once before, when he surprised him at his apartment early in the morning to apologize for blowing him off earlier on in their friendship. But he was still amazed by how different Magnus looked when he wasn't trying to impress anyone. He was completely devoid of glitter, his hair was lying flat on his head, his face was clear of make-up... but he still looked incredible. He was dressed in a silk nightgown again, different from the one he was wearing the last time Alec came over. Alec let his eyes slowly rake over Magnus, since he knew the warlock was most likely still half asleep and too tired to notice.

Alec was torn from his admiration when Chairman Meow jumped into his lap. Alec chuckled to himself and began scratching behind the adorable cat's ears.

Alec contented himself with doting on Chairman Meow while Magnus quietly sipped his coffee, perking up more and more as the caffeine worked its way into his system.

“What are you doing today?” Alec asked once Magnus' coffee was half-gone.

“Nothing that can’t be rescheduled,” Magnus replied. “What did you have in mind?”

“Would you like to go on a walk with me?” Alec suggested, smiling shyly at Magnus. “The park is mostly empty this early in the morning. It’s quiet.”

“I would love that,” Magnus replied, smiling fondly at Alec.

They finished their coffees and bid Chairman Meow goodbye, then headed out to the park. Alec preferred Central Park, but Prospect Park was closer to Magnus’ Brooklyn apartment, so he would have to make do. They strolled alongside each other, chatting back and forth about nothing in particular, just enjoying the peace and quiet of the early morning and empty park, as well as being in each other’s company. Magnus was magnetic, and Alec was so drawn to him. He was sure Magnus could comment on the weather and he would be completely enraptured by his every word.

The conversation eventually tapered off around mid-morning, and Alec began nervously tugging on a loose thread hanging from the bottom of his sweater. Magnus glanced sideways at Alec, frowning at his nervous twitching, but decided to remain quiet, allowing Alec time to work up the courage to say whatever it was he was thinking.

“So… you promise Izzy wasn’t horrible yesterday?” Alec finally asked, scared of the answer he would receive.

“She’s very fond of you,” Magnus said in reply, bumping his shoulder against Alec’s. “It’s very sweet.”

“Yeah… she’s a pain in my ass, but I love her. We’ve always been close.”

“I can tell.”

“She likes you. She went on and on about you last night when she got back to the Institute.”

“I hope she’s not the only Lightwood who likes me,” Magnus murmured nervously, chancing a glance over at Alec to observe his reaction.

Alec blushed and looked away from Magnus, feigning interest in some squirrels scampering up a tree nearby. “She’s not,” he mumbled quietly.

Magnus smiled to himself and brushed his hand against Alec’s as they walked side by side. Magnus didn’t want to push Alec, but he was craving any touch he could get. Although, he was perfectly content to just spend time with the man. In his 400 years he had never met anyone who could hold his attention and interest and keep him on his toes like Alexander Lightwood could.

Speaking of keeping him on his toes, Alec surprised Magnus once more by reaching out and grabbing his hand, tugging him over to a park bench.

As the sun rose higher in the sky and birds began chirping and squirrels scurried up to them, hoping for food, more and more people arrived at the park, livening up the greenery around them. Alec thought most Mundanes were idiots and completely oblivious to the world around them, but he was still amused by them wandering around him, some chatting and laughing amiably, some yelling into their phones, some jogging, and others walking their dogs. But they all stared at him, eyes widening as they took him in.

“Mundanes are so obnoxious. Why do they always have to stare at me?” Alec asked, shifting uncomfortably on the bench, feeling naked without his glamour rune.

“I imagine it might have something to do with all the runes,” Magnus chuckled.

“But this is New York! I saw a Mundane with a skull tattooed on the back of his head just last week. Surely I can’t look that bizarre to them.”

“Maybe they can’t help but look at someone so handsome.”

“Then they should be goggling at you, not me,” Alec retorted, then blushed as he realized what he had just blurted out without thinking.

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” Magnus joked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at Alec, causing Alec to forget all about his embarrassment and double over laughing, Magnus joining in.

The laughing eventually broke off, leaving Magnus and Alec smiling at one another. Their gaze was interrupted by Magnus' stomach letting out a low grumble. “I’m starving. Would you like to accompany me to lunch?” Magnus asked. Alec nodded, reaching out to brush his hand over Magnus’.

“Lead the way,” Alec offered. His heart gave a strong thud as Magnus turned his hand over and linked his fingers through Alec’s.

Magnus took Alec to a quaint little deli that he frequented near his home. He ended up arguing with Alec for a good ten minutes about who was going to pay after they finished their meal, before he finally just waved his hand, causing Alec’s money to vanish from the table and return to his wallet. He smugly placed his own money down, forcefully grabbed Alec’s hand, and pulled him out of the deli, Alec stuttering behind him. “That’s cheating!” Alec grumbled, causing Magnus to grin even more.

Now that Magnus felt confident that Alec didn’t mind it when he held his hand, Magnus decided he would take advantage, and suggested a stroll through the nearby neighborhoods. It was a gorgeous Spring day out, and he thought it would be remiss to not enjoy it (as well as use it as an opportunity to walk with Alec while holding his hand). Alec nodded his agreement, glancing down occasionally at their joined hands as if he was checking that it was real. Magnus felt like he was floating down the streets of New York City, and he was proud to be accompanied by such a handsome man.

Eventually, Alec tugged Magnus in the direction of Brooklyn Bridge, claiming he hadn’t been in forever and thought it might be nice to enjoy a relaxing view of the city.

“I forget sometimes, how beautiful it all is. I get so caught up in the violence and the fighting and the demons and all the drama, plus the Mundanes are all idiots. But the city… it’s pretty great, isn’t it?” Alec asked as they gazed out at the New York skyline. Magnus smiled and turned to look up at Alec.

“Yes, the view is pretty great,” Magnus agreed, echoing Alec's words back at him while winking at him, causing him to blush.

They stood together, looking out over the city as the sun set. Alec was surprised by how quickly time passed when he was with Magnus. And Magnus, who had experienced some days that felt like eternities during his long life was also amazed by how easily time passed when he was in the company of this Shadowhunter. Everything felt so easy and happy and hopeful when they were in each other's company. It was addictive, and neither of them seemed to be able to get enough.

As they wandered off the Brooklyn Bridge, they were lured to an authentic Italian restaurant by the smell of pizza wafting down the streets. Alec tugged Magnus inside and, when Magnus offered to pay again, Alec glared at him. Magnus raised his hands in submission and allowed Alec to treat him, secretly loving feeling so spoiled.

“I'm not ready for you to leave yet,” Magnus admitted, stalling as they finished dinner.

“I'm not ready to leave you yet,” Alec shyly responded, looking down at his lap.

“Come back to mine for a drink, then. Unless… that is… do they need you back at the Institute?”

Alec fished his phone out of his pocket and glanced at the screen. He had about 15 texts from Izzy and 10 from Jace asking where he was. But there were no messages that seemed urgent or couldn’t wait until morning. He paused and bit his lip, thinking it over, but decided that, for the first time in his life, he was going to follow his heart and see what it brought him.

“Let’s go.”

* * *

“I’d like to propose a toast; to making it through an entire evening without being interrupted by demons or someone dying!” Magnus announced cheerfully as he handed Alec his drink. They had walked slowly back to Magnus' apartment from Brooklyn Bridge, Alec reflexively scanning the streets for any signs of trouble. Thankfully, he hadn't found any. And they were now seated, safe and snug, on the leather couch in Magnus' apartment.

Alec chuckled as he clinked his glass against Magnus’ then tipped it back to drink. He set his glass down after he’d taken a sip and smiled warmly at Magnus.

Magnus’ heart gave a hard thud in his chest and he felt like he couldn’t breathe. He had traveled the world and seen so much of what it had to offer, but he’d never seen anything as beautiful as Alec’s smile. He knew it was too late to turn back now. He knew Alec was beautiful and funny and caring and loyal… and now he knew, without a single doubt, that he was well on his way to falling in love with him; something he never thought he would experience again. It was dangerous and stupid and was most likely going to end up with him getting his heart broken… again, but he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Alec was worth it. And loving this Shadowhunter could easily become the biggest adventure of all. He decided then and there to give it a chance and let himself fall.

“What?” Alec asked, interrupting Magnus’ thoughts. “Did I spill my drink?” He asked, self-consciously looking down at his shirt. Magnus blinked in confusion, then realized he had been caught staring at Alec.

“Oh, no, I'm sorry- I just got a bit caught up in my thoughts.” Alec nodded in understanding and took another sip of his drink. “Plus, you’re not exactly hard on the eyes.” Alec choked on his drink, coughing as it went down the wrong way.

“I enjoyed today immensely,” Magnus continued once Alec had caught his breath. “I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed someone’s company so much,” Magnus commented as he traced his fingers idly against the seams in the couch. He enjoyed complimenting Alec and watching him blush, but he would be lying if he claimed he wasn’t nervous of Alec’s response every time he put his heart out on the line. Alec was unpredictable and so honest, it was terrifying in the most wonderful way.

“Not even Marie Antoinette?” Alec teased.

Magnus grinned at Alec and launched into another tale of his travels and adventures, reveling in the way Alec’s face lit up at his stories. They continued talking and sharing stories and laughing well into the night, the mood shifting and becoming more and more relaxed as the night wore on. The sun had set hours ago and the only light in the apartment came from the glow of the fireplace. Chairman Meow was curled up in Alec’s lap, who was petting him idly as he and Magnus talked, their voices growing quieter as they grew more and more tired, neither of them wanting to sleep.

“Tell me more about your life. Something no one else knows,” Alec requested, his voice soft, not wanting to break the quiet of the night around them.

Magnus hesitated, afraid to give out yet another piece of his heart. But Alec tugged at his heart strings and made him want to bare everything to him in a way no one had before, and so he decided to trust him completely.

“My parents hated me,” he admitted quietly.

Alec remained quiet, allowing Magnus to continue if he wanted to, but not pushing him to tell more.

“My mother hung herself when she realized what I was. After, her husband attempted to drown me, and I... I....” Magnus paused, trying to find the words but not wanting Alec to hate him for what he'd done in self-defense. “I didn't understand my own strength back then. It came naturally, but still had to be taught, had to be controlled. And I was very young. So my magic protected me... and killed my step-father in doing so.”

Magnus held his breath while he waited for Alec's reaction, but Alec simply kept watching, quietly listening, his eyes earnest and understanding, not a hint of fear or judgment in his gaze. Magnus could feel his heart racing.

“I went to the Silent Brothers and they raised me. They taught me that it was ok to be... different. They trained me. But sometimes it's hard... to remember all the death and destruction that followed in my wake.”

“I understand,” Alec said softly. And those two words meant more to Magnus than he could even begin to comprehend. Alec didn't fear him, he didn't pity him, he didn't turn away in horror. He simply listened and understood, and Magnus knew now, more than ever, that he was in love.

“What about you? It’s only fair now that you tell me one of your secrets,” Magnus requested in return.

“My parents are going through a divorce,” Alec replied, then took a deep, shaky breath. “I had a little brother, Max. He died a year ago. It was an accident. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time… And it destroyed us- me, Izzy, Jace. But it hurt my parents most of all. And now they’re getting a divorce. I think there’s more to it than that- I think my dad….” Alec paused. He had never voiced this fear out loud before. He looked up and met Magnus’ eyes and saw nothing but encouragement and support looking back him. He took a deep breath. “I think my dad was having an affair. But no one will talk about it so I don’t really know. And so my father stepped down from his position as head of the Institute and I rose to take his place. Sometimes I feel like I didn’t really earn it, that it was a promotion of convenience. That’s why I work so hard at this, because I have to prove myself. I have to prove that they made the right choice and that I can handle this.”

Magnus waited until he was sure Alec was done sharing his secret, then reached out and took his hand. “Thank you for trusting me with this.”

Alec squeezed Magnus’ hand firmly in his. “I can’t believe you’re not running away after I just dumped all that baggage on you,” Alec said softly, in awe.

“Well, what about you? I thought you’d run away screaming after I told you about-“ Magnus broke off his sentence when Alec began shaking his head, silently insisting that everything was still fine between them- better than before, even.

“You would have loved Max. He was mischievous, like you. Always getting into trouble. You two probably would have grown to be great friends. Partners in crime,” Alec grinned wistfully.

“I would have liked to meet him.”

“Yeah...” Alec murmured.

Alec looked up at Magnus and met his gaze. He bit his bottom lip, then carefully scooted across the couch, moving closer to Magnus while still holding his hand. He looked up again to find that Magnus' fond gaze still hadn't moved away. Magnus reached up with his free hand and brushed his fingers against Alec's cheek, brushing his thumb delicately against the stubble that was starting to appear. Alec let out a soft sigh, then lowered his head to rest against Magnus' shoulder. His heart was racing, and he was letting out stuttering breaths, afraid that the smallest movement would ruin what was happening between them. But he shouldn't have worried. A second later, Magnus wrapped his arm around Alec, holding the younger man close against him, resting his own head on top of Alec's, their hands still firmly linked between them.

“How do you feel about a Project Runway marathon to lighten the mood?” Magnus said after a while, tracing his fingers over the back of Alec’s hand as he spoke.

“What’s Project Runway?” Alec asked sleepily. He could easily have fallen asleep in Magnus’ arms if given just a few more minutes.

“Oh, you poor child.” Alec rolled his eyes, which made Magnus laugh in return. “Thank God I got to you before you it was too late,” Magnus teased.

“What’s Project Runway, he asks,” Magnus mumbled under his breath as he flicked his hand, turning on the TV. Alec chuckled and snuggled back against Magnus, getting comfortable once more.

“You can stay here tonight,” Magnus offered halfway through the episode. He stared down at Alec’s face, all lines and creases and traces of stress gone, making Alec look even more handsome than usual. He could tell that Alec was completely relaxed, and he hated to make him trek all the way home. “I could make up the couch for you.”

“Mmmm,” Alec hummed. He sleepily tilted his head back, smiling as Magnus’ fingers began combing through his hair. “Ok. Thank you.”

“So polite,” Magnus teased. He tugged affectionately at Alec’s hair.

A little while later, Magnus heard Alec’s breath even out. He slowly rose off the couch, careful not to jostle Alec awake. He grabbed a blanket and gently draped it over Alec (and Chairman Meow, who had curled up in Alec’s arms and was also peacefully sleeping). Magnus took a moment to gaze lovingly at Alec, who was truly the most handsome individual he’d ever met. He was strong, but gentle. Honest, but shy. His dark hair contrasted beautifully against his pale skin, and the dark runes etched onto his body only made him look even more gorgeous. Magnus was tempted to lean down and brush a kiss against Alec’s temple, but he refrained. He wanted to share so much with Alec, but he knew Alec would have to make the decision and push for it. Magnus had made up his mind- he wanted Alec. He wanted to grow with him and learn more about him and spend his days with him. Now he needed Alec to make that choice for himself. And he would wait as long as it took. He had forever, after all.


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning, Magnus was uncharacteristically early to rise. He groggily took a moment to enjoy the peace and quiet of the morning and the softness of his satin sheets before he remembered that something much better awaited him in the other room.

With thoughts of Alec quickly taking over his mind, Magnus hurriedly made his way into his en-suite bathroom to brush his teeth and fix his hair (just enough so that it would look like he had rolled out of bed looking naturally put-together). He opted to keep his silk pajamas on for the time being, in order to give the appearance that he woke up looking and smelling like that. He looked himself over once more in the mirror, nodded in approval, then began to make his way toward the living room, eager to see Alec again.

For a brief moment as he walked down the hall, Magnus worried that Alec would already be gone. He understood that Alec had a duty and a responsibility to the Clave and that he was needed at the Institute, so he told himself that he would try his best to be understanding if Alec wasn’t there; that he wouldn’t let his heart break.

But he needn’t have worried.

Magnus’ heart stopped as he entered the living room. Alec was still soundly sleeping on the couch, his dark hair fanned out over his face and Chairman Meow curled up in his arms, purring softly as they cuddled. Alec was still there, and he was absolutely breath-taking.

It wasn’t hard for Magnus to imagine many more mornings just like this, waking up to the sight of this gorgeous man (and his cat)… hopefully in his bed next time. Magnus’ hand twitched for his phone, wanting more than anything to take a picture of Alec while he was sleeping so peacefully. But what he wanted even more than that was to spend time with Alec and, with that thought in mind, he padded over to the couch.

“Good morning,” Magnus whispered softly, gently shaking Alec’s shoulder. Alec stirred and slowly blinked open his eyes, then smiled up at Magnus as he remembered where he was.

“I stayed the night,” Alec murmured, his voice hoarse from sleep. Magnus simply grinned in reply.

“Would you like some coffee?” Magnus asked, scooping up Chairman Meow off of Alec’s chest and rubbing behind his ears.

Alec raised a disbelieving eyebrow at Magnus, who chuckled and set Chairman Meow down before flicking his hand, two coffees from the café down the street appearing on the table in front of them.

“Mmmm, thank you.” Alec slowly sat up, the blanket Magnus had draped over him the night before falling down to his hips. Alec’s black shirt was adorably creased and covered in cat hair, and his hair was now standing up on all ends. Magnus was entirely smitten.

“My pleasure,” Magnus replied.

“Not just for the coffee,” Alec explained. “Thank you for everything. For yesterday, for letting me sleep here, for giving me a day that was so enjoyable... I didn’t even know it was possible to have days like that.”

Magnus sighed, then sat onto the couch next to Alec. He reached out and ran his hand through Alec’s messy, dark locks. Alec automatically leaned into the touch, humming contentedly. Magnus wasn’t even sure Alec realized he was doing it. Alec looked up and met Magnus’ eyes, electricity crackling between them as their gazes conveyed everything they were feeling in that moment, in the soft quiet of the morning where the day was full of possibilities.

Alec slowly tilted his head up, silently asking Magnus for permission to move closer. Magnus’ breath hitched in his throat and he nodded his head. Alec closed his eyes and slowly moved his head forward. Magnus, in turn, leaned closer, tilting his head for the perfect angle, his eyes also closing in anticipation of what was about to happen between them. He reached out and placed his hand on Alec’s chest. Their hearts were both racing, and Magnus could feel Alec’s breath as they grew closer.

They both jumped and quickly moved away from one another when Magnus’ phone suddenly let out a loud, shrill ring. Alec chuckled nervously and stood up from the couch, silently making his way down the hall to the bathroom as Magnus cursed under his breath and answered his phone.

“This had better be good,” he snapped, his gaze following Alec out of the room, his heart aching for a moment that never happened.

 

* * *

 

“So, that was my old friend, Catarina,” Magnus explained when Alec returned from the bathroom, his hair freshly combed and the wrinkles on his shirt smoothed out. “It appears I’m needed to run damage control.”

“What happened?” Alec asked, coming to stand in front of Magnus. “Is everything okay?”

“I’m afraid not. Catarina works at a hospital, and she had a patient come in late last night… it appears there was a werewolf attack. It was sloppy, so she thinks it was someone’s first shift into their wolf form. Which means there’s someone wandering the streets right now who is going to be very confused about what happened last night. She wants me to track them down and get them help.”

“Where should we start?” Alec asked, reaching behind Magnus to grab his coffee off the table. Magnus held his breath as Alec reached around him, overwhelmed by having Alec in such close proximity after their almost-kiss just a few moments before. He had a job to focus on now, however. He couldn't get distracted.

Once Alec had pulled away, coffee cup in hand, Magnus turned to grab his own coffee off the table. He shook his head, his back to Alec. He shouldn’t have even told Alec about the incident, but he couldn’t help himself whenever he was around him. He wanted to tell the other man everything. But if the Clave found out about this werewolf attack, there would most definitely be consequences, and Magnus wanted to avoid that at all costs. Magnus took a deep breath and turned back around to face Alec. “No, it’s fine. I can handle it by myself.”

“I’m coming with you, Magnus.”

“Alexand-“ Alec held up his hand, cutting Magnus off. Magnus bit his lip to hide his smile, and shook his head fondly. “As you wish,” he sighed affectionately. He had no reason to distrust Alec, so he would have to trust that Alec would do the right thing. “We need to stop by the hospital, first. Catarina was able to get a sample of the werewolf’s saliva from the victim, so we should be able to track him or her from that. And, of course, we’ll need to call Luke. He’ll want to keep an eye on the victim, too, in case he eventually shifts.”

“Let me just text Izzy and Jace so they don’t worry, and then I’ll be ready to go.”

Magnus nodded his head and stepped past Alec, heading toward the bathroom to get ready for the day. He refused to look anything less than fabulous while he did his work. He had a reputation to uphold, after all.

Alec sat down at the kitchen table and grabbed his phone, which was close to dying, out of his pocket. He had accumulated even more missed texts overnight from Jace and Izzy asking where he was. They didn’t seem too worried though, since Jace would be able to feel through their parabatai bond if he was hurt… or worse.

‘Slept at Magnus’. Be home later,’ Alec sent them a group text, then quickly powered down his phone before they could freak out.

Magnus strolled out of the bathroom ten minutes later, his hair perfectly spiked, his eyes lined with glitter, and dressed in skin-tight leather pants and a silk shirt unbuttoned halfway down his chest. Alec’s eyes widened and he felt his mouth go dry. “Whoa,” he murmured before he could stop himself. Magnus smiled smugly and winked at Alec.

“I aim to please,” Magnus replied. “You ready?”

“Um… yeah,” Alec responded. He was finding it difficult to remember how to form words. His brain was in overdrive, and his stomach was doing cartwheels.

Magnus opened up a portal leading directly to Catarina’s private office at the hospital, then grabbed Alec’s hand and stepped through.

 

* * *

 

As Magnus and Alec stepped through the portal, Catarina turned to greet her old friend, but stopped short when she saw the tall Shadowhunter standing directly behind Magnus, their hands firmly linked together. She raised an eyebrow at Alec before turning a questioning look to Magnus.

“Alec, this is my dear friend Catarina. Catarina, this is my- um… Alec,” Magnus said, stumbling over his words. Catarina changed her gaze from one of confusion to amusement, causing Magnus to look down at his feet and blush. In all of years she had known Magnus, she had never heard him stumble over his words. She had seen Magnus fall in love a few times over the past few centuries… she knew all the symptoms. But she had never seen him as bad as this. He was usually so self-assured and cocky and confident with his lovers. But Alec seemed to make him jittery and nervous. She found it refreshing.

“A Shadowhunter?” She stated, looking over Alec’s obvious runes. “Interesting. I assume you’re here to help?”

Alec nodded and reached out a hand to greet Catarina. She smiled at his manners- not all Shadowhunters she knew would shake hands with a Downworlder, even after the Accords had been adjusted. Prejudices ran deep, and a few years of new laws wouldn’t change things immediately- it would take time. But it seemed Alec was ahead of the game, and she respected him for that.

“Right. Here is what you’ll need to track the werewolf,” Catarina said, going straight to business as she handed a vial over to Magnus. “I imagine he or she is terrified, so please, go easy on them,” she explained, looking pointedly at Alec.

“And the victim?” Alec asked. “How is he?”

“He’ll live. But things may be different for him going forward,” Catarina sighed. “It’s likely he’ll join Luke’s pack in a month. Of course I’ve been in contact with Luke, so I imagine he’ll have a member of his pack keep an eye on him in the meantime.”

Alec nodded, then turned to glance over his shoulder, where Magnus was already performing the spell to track the werewolf who had attacked. The worst of the danger was over, of course, but it was still important to find the wolf as soon as possible. He or she would be a danger to themselves and the people around them as long as they were frightened.

“It’s a girl,” Magnus said suddenly, his eyes glazed over as he focused on the tracking spell. “She’s in the park. Somewhere near water…. She's… Ok, I’ve got her.” Magnus set the vial down and his eyes regained their focus. “You ready?” He asked Alec. Alec nodded in response, walking over to Magnus and taking his hand again.

“I imagine I’ll be seeing you again, Alec?” Catarina asked before he and Magnus could depart through the portal. She darted her gaze briefly to Magnus and could see the hope in his eyes as he stared at Alec, waiting for his response.

“I hope so,” Alec agreed. “It was nice meeting you.”

 

* * *

 

“So what are we looking for? Any physical traits that stood out to you? Did you get a good glimpse of her?” Alec asked as he and Magnus walked through Central Park together, searching for the girl Magnus had seen through his tracking spell.

“She’s young- maybe 16 or 17. She’ll look a bit delirious after the night she’s had. She’s awake, but confused, so she won’t have gotten far from where I tracked her,” Magnus described, walking quickly toward the pond he had seen through the tracking spell. Alec dutifully followed behind, keeping alert. He was grateful for the farsighted rune that was still in effect from his patrol two nights ago.

“There,” Alec said suddenly, pointing at a young girl who was crying and walking in their direction. Magnus squinted and could just make her out in the distance. He nodded that it was her and picked up his pace, trying his best to look calm so they wouldn’t scare her off. She heard them coming, though, with her heightened senses. Alec saw her look up directly at them and bare her teeth in warning as they approached.

Alec reached out his arm and held Magnus back. “She’s scared,” Alec warned. “Stay behind me.”

“I am perfectly capable of protecting myself,” Magnus chided. “Or have you forgotten the circumstances under which we met?”

Magnus also didn’t want to hang back because he wanted to be able to prevent Alec from fighting the girl, if it came to that. She was obviously just protecting herself, and Magnus knew that Shadowhunters were quick to act. He wanted to settle this without any violence at all, if possible. And he was sure Alec had a weapon on him somewhere that he wouldn’t hesitate to use it if he thought it was necessary. Magnus hoped to avoid that.

They took a few more tentative steps toward the girl and she began to shake, growling lowly in warning. They both hesitated, not sure how to continue moving forward without causing a problem.

“I think we need to call Luke,” Alec murmured.

“I think you're right,” Magnus agreed. “He'll be able to explain to her what's happening better than we can.”

Magnus quickly pulled out his phone and dialed Luke, while Alec began moving closer to the girl once more, holding up his hands to show that he wasn't a threat. He gently called out to her, knowing her ears would be extra sensitive after her recent shift. He didn’t want to overwhelm her. “My name is Alec. I know you’re scared and confused, but I promise I only want to help you.”

The young girl growled at him again in response, her claws coming out as she grew more and more frightened.

“It’s ok,” he reassured. “I know you didn’t mean to hurt anyone last night. And you’re not going to hurt anyone else, I promise. You’re going to be ok,” Alec reassured, creeping closer still, his hands still up in the air. The young girl hesitated and took a few more steps back, keeping distance between her and Alec.

“What’s your name?” Alec asked gently. He was only about 15 feet away from her now.

“…Haley,” she finally responded. Alec nodded and gave her a gentle smile, taking another tentative step closer. He could hear Magnus approaching behind him and he held out his hand, silently communicating to Magnus to keep the same pace as him. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that Magnus had his hands up in reassurance too, although if Haley knew that she was dealing with a warlock, his hands up the air probably wouldn't look as innocent.

“It’s nice to meet you, Haley. This is Magnus. He’s the one who heard you might need our help. We just want to help you understand what’s happening. We have friends who have been through this before,” Alec explained.

“Do you mind if we sit and talk with you?” Magnus suggested, looking over at Alec to encourage him to follow along with his plan. Alec nodded his head and sat down on the grass, spreading his long legs out in front of him. It was a risk to sit while Haley was still standing, thus giving her the upper-hand, but he trusted Magnus, and he knew that their combined heights probably weren't reassuring to the shorter girl. Haley looked at them nervously, but slowly nodded her head, sensing that they weren’t a threat. Magnus sat next to Alec and reached out behind them to put his hand on top of Alec’s, squeezing it in encouragement. Haley didn’t sit, but she had at least put her claws away. She was shaking, and her clothes were torn and stained with blood. Magnus couldn’t imagine how terrifying it must be to wake up in the park and have no idea what had happened to you the night before.

“I’m sorry this happened to you,” Magnus said quietly.

“We have this friend- his name is Luke and he’s a werewolf,” Alec explained. “You’re a werewolf, too, but I think you’ve figured that out by now.” Haley nodded her head, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

“I think I hurt someone,” she whispered, the shaking intensifying. Alec shrugged off his jacket and handed it out to her, allowing her to step closer to take it from him. She quietly thanked him and slipped the jacket on.

“It was an accident. And we saw him earlier, he’s going to be fine,” Alec reassured. “And so are you. I want you to meet Luke. He’s the leader of the werewolves in the city. He can help you control this so that you can continue to live a normal life.”

“He’s very kind and patient,” Magnus added on. “He has a daughter just a few years older than you who he adores.”

Haley slowly sat down in front of Magnus and Alec, hugging her arms to herself. “Ok,” she whispered. Magnus smiled at Alec and twined their fingers together. “Ok,” he echoed back at her.

 

* * *

 

“I didn’t think warlocks did anything like that without payment,” Alec commented as he and Magnus walked away from the park. Alec made sure his tone conveyed that he wasn’t being judgmental or critical, just curious.

Luke had shown up at the park about ten minutes after Magnus called and immediately set to work reassuring Haley that she was ok and that her attack last night was an accident, and that were plenty of people in his pack who would love to help her, himself included. They had left Haley in good hands, and she was looking and feeling much better by the time they parted ways.

“I normally don’t. But sometimes it’s important to just do the right thing,” Magnus admitted. “But don’t tell anyone that. I have a reputation to uphold. I can’t have anyone thinking I’ve gone soft.”

Alec paused and bit his lip, a sudden thought appearing to him. “When you left for London… did you do that for Clary?”

Magnus looked away from Alec, fidgeting nervously. “That was part of it,” he finally admitted. “Not the whole reason, but yes, it did cross my mind what the consequences of my absence would be.”

“You’re a good man, Magnus Bane,” Alec said, grasping Magnus’ shoulder and gently turning him to face him, so Magnus could see the sincerity in his eyes. Magnus blushed and look down at his feet.

“And what about you? Am I right to assume you won’t report this to the Clave?” Magnus asked, glancing back up at Alec hopefully.

“They don’t need to know. It’s under control,” Alec replied immediately, meeting Magnus’ gaze straight on. Magnus smiled fondly at Alec. He reached out and squeezed Alec’s hand.

“You never cease to amaze me, Alec,” Magnus murmured. “And, we make a pretty good team, if I do say so myself.”

“That we do,” Alec smiled.

Magnus reluctantly dropped Alec’s hand and took a step back, sighing. “I should get home. Chairman Meow hasn’t even had his breakfast yet. He’ll be cross with me.”

Alec chuckled and nodded his head in understanding. “Yeah, and I should get back to the Institute. I’m sure Jace and Izzy are ready to give me an earful.”

“Can I call you tomorrow?” Magnus asked.

“You can call me tonight,” Alec replied, smiling at Magnus. Magnus leaned up and kissed Alec's cheek before hesitantly walking away, making his way back to his Brooklyn apartment alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go!
> 
> I've also started another Malec fic! Go check it out and let me know what you think. 
> 
> You can follow me on tumblr at rafaellightwood-bane.


	10. Chapter 10

Alec had been inside the Institute for a total of four seconds before he was bombarded by his siblings. He couldn’t even get a word in before he was being dragged into the elevator, then straight to his room by Izzy and Jace.

“Tell us everything,” Izzy ordered as Alec’s bedroom door shut behind her. She pushed Alec onto his bed as she and Jace came to stand in front of him, identically crossing their arms in front of their chests. It would almost be comical how much they had truly become brother and sister over the years if it weren’t for the fact that they were ganging up on him and pestering him.

“Don’t leave out any of the dirty details,” Jace added, winking at his parabatai.

“Nothing happened,” Alec replied. Izzy and Jace swapped looks that showed they clearly didn’t believe a word Alec said. “Really,” Alec insisted. “I just slept there. Nothing else.” 

“There is no way you went missing for almost 36 hours and nothing happened,” Izzy argued, raising a perfectly arched eyebrow in disbelief.

“Is he a good kisser?” Jace asked. “Who am I kidding. Of course he’s a good kisser. He’s had, like, 600 years of experience.”

Alec looked incredulously at Jace, although he shouldn’t have been surprised by the questions coming from his brother. 

“This is ridiculous. I promise nothing happened.” Alec’s tone came across more annoyed than he wanted it to. He should have known Izzy would see right through his facade, and that she would be able to pull the truth out of him. He saw Izzy’s expression shift as she realized that something was wrong.

“Tell me, big brother. What’s going on?” She asked, concern etching across her face now in place of curiosity.

“It’s… he… and I…” Alec stuttered, unable to find the words to express what he was feeling. He was elated after spending so much uninterrupted time with Magnus. He was sad that he was apart from him now. He was crushed that nothing had happened. And he was confused because he had never felt this way about anyone- not even Jace.

“By the Angel!” Jace exclaimed, his eyes widening as he stared at Alec. “You’re in love with him!”

“No,” Alec argued, shaking his head. “I just… and he… I mean… I don’t know,” Alec sighed, then let out a groan as he hung his head in his hands, tugging at his hair in frustration.

“Whoa… you _do_ love him,” Izzy realized. She came to sit on the bed next to Alec, and Jace sat on the other side, showing their support for Alec in place of ambushing him.

“I _can’t_ love him. It’s still so new. But he’s just… he’s incredible, you guys. But he’s completely out of my league.”

“Alec, dude, we’ve been over this. You’re a catch and he’s crazy about you,” Jace reassured. 

“Seriously, Alec, all he could talk about when we had coffee was you. I don’t even think he realized he was doing it,” Izzy added on.

“So you guys like him?” Alec asked.

“Of course. What’s not to like? He chose you, didn’t he? So we know he’s got good taste.” Izzy nudged Alec’s shoulder with her own, trying to reassure him that everything would work out, that they liked Magnus and that Magnus liked Alec. 

“Definitely. I mean, he stole my girlfriend’s memories… but even Clary has forgiven him for that. He likes you, Alec. You should go for it, if you really love him.” 

“I don’t love him…” Alec insisted, then sighed. “But I think I could. In fact, I’m probably already halfway there.”

Izzy wrapped her arms around Alec and squeezed him close in a hug, resting her chin on his shoulder. “Then what are you waiting for, big brother? Go get your man.”

 

* * *

 

Izzy and Jace eventually left Alec alone in his room after a few hours of throwing ideas at him about how he should confess his love to Magnus. He was feeling overwhelmed by it all, and was starting to panic and shut down, so they finally left him alone to process everything. After agonizing about it for another hour on his own, he decided he would just sleep on it and think more about it in the morning.

That plan was shot straight to hell when his phone started ringing later that night, Magnus on the other side of the line. Alec had completely forgotten that he told Magnus he could call him that night.

“Hello, Alexander,” Magnus greeted when Alec answered the phone. Alec could practically hear Magnus’ smile, and it made his heart race.

“Magnus... hey,” Alec replied breathlessly. What was wrong with him that just Magnus' voice could make him lose his breath? Could he sound like more of an idiot?

“Are you ok? You sound...”

“Can you come over?” Alec blurted out, practically shouting at Magnus, then slapped himself on the forehead. Ok, yes, he apparently _could_ sound like more of an idiot. This was not in any of his plans, and now he had no clue what he was going to do.

“Is something the matter? Are you hurt?” Magnus asked in concern.

“No, it's nothing like that. I just... there's something I want to talk to you about.”

“That doesn't sound promising...” Magnus tried to joke. Alec didn't laugh in response like he normally would, though, which made Magnus even more nervous. “I'll be right there. I'll portal just outside the wards of the Institute. Meet me at the entrance?”

“Yeah. See you soon.”

 

* * *

 

Alec met Magnus at the front of the Institute and rode the elevator with him in silence, fidgeting nervously beside him the whole way. He led them straight to his bedroom, still without saying a word. He was a nervous wreck and part of him just wanted to get this over with so he could go back to life before Magnus, and another part of him felt physically ill at the thought of losing Magnus.

“Alec, what is going on? Is everything ok?” Magnus asked once the bedroom door was shut firmly behind them. He quickly looked Alec over, searching for any physical injuries, and let out a sigh of relief when he couldn’t see anything apart from Alec’s nerves. He perched on the edge of the bed and watched Alec pace back and forth across the bedroom.

Magnus looked around the room while he waited for Alec to say something- he had been to the Institute plenty of times over the years, but he had never been in the lodging quarters before. The rooms were small, although Magnus assumed Alec had the largest room, considering he was the acting head. Still, there was only room for a double bed and a nightstand, along with a dresser and a desk where Magnus assumed Alec did all of his paperwork. There was another door that Magnus assumed was the closet, and then a third door that led into the en-suite bathroom. The room was very plain, with no decorations or splashes of color- a direct contrast from Magnus’ own apartment. The sheets on the bed were plain white, and the only ornaments on Alec's desk were a picture of Alec with Izzy and Jace, and another photo of Alec with a younger boy, who Magnus assumed was his brother, Max.

Alec finally came to a stop in front of Magnus, cutting the photos on Alec's desk out of Magnus' line of sight. He looked up at Alec, who was towering above him.

“Talk to me. What's bothering you? Is someone hurt? Is it Isabelle?” Magnus asked. He hated seeing Alec so worked up.

“No, no. Nothing like that. It's just...” Alec sighed and looked away, flicking his gaze around the room, avoiding looking at Magnus at all costs.

“Is it me? Have I done something wrong?” Magnus asked.

“No!” Alec exclaimed, whipping back around to look at Magnus earnestly.

“It's...” Alec sighed, then started worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. Magnus reached out and held Alec's hands in his own. Alec took a deep breath, looking straight into Magnus' eyes. “I wanted to tell you some other way. I know you probably like romance and grand gestures, but I’m no good at that. But…” Alec paused, taking another deep breath. “I like you, and I want to take you on a date. I understand if that's not something you want to do, but Izzy and Jace are under the impression that you like me, too, so I thought I would ask. I mean, of course you're going to say no and I've probably messed up everything now, but you're just so magical and handsome and funny and we get along so well and-”

Alec was cut off by Magnus' finger over his lips, silencing him.

“Alexander,” Magnus chuckled, then smiled warmly at Alec. “You do realize we've been practically dating for weeks now? Just without the naughty parts.” Magnus winked at Alec.

Alec’s breath hitched as he looked at Magnus, who was staring at him now with such open adoration. Jace and Izzy had been right. There was no denying the attraction in Magnus' gaze. “Oh,” he whispered. Magnus gently tugged on Alec’s hands, pulling him down onto the bed next to him.

“I was starting to worry that you would never catch on,” Magnus murmured fondly, tenderly running his hand through Alec's hair.

“But, I've never had a boyfriend. And I don't really have time to date. And I'm pretty sure I'll be terrible at it,” Alec argued nervously.

“You've been doing just fine, if you ask me,” Magnus replied, doing his best to soothe all of Alec's fears.

“So... you like me?” Alec asked, still unsure.

“Very much,” Magnus replied.

“Oh,” Alec repeated again.

“Oh, Alexander,” Magnus smiled, then chuckled again. Alec rolled his eyes at Magnus' laughter, then promptly shut him up by kissing him.

Magnus' eyes widened in surprise as Alec knocked him onto his back on the bed, but he quickly recovered and happily responded to the kiss, wrapping his arms tightly around Alec and holding him close.

Alec gasped into the kiss once Magnus responded- he had never felt anything so powerful. He was shaking and his lips were tingling and he felt a bit dizzy… it was wonderful.

He pulled back to make sure this was really happening. Magnus smiled up at him and Alec laughed breathlessly.

Magnus liked him. He liked Magnus. They liked each other and they were making out on his bed.

Magnus leaned up again, silently asking for more, which Alec happily gave. He went slower this time, taking his time to explore Magnus’ mouth, to enjoy how their lips fit together perfectly, to savor the taste of Magnus on his tongue.

And as he lost himself in the kiss, he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that the day Magnus Bane walked into his life, everything changed for the better.

 

* * *

 

Alec wanted to keep his relationship with Magnus under wraps for a bit while they adjusted and wrapped their minds around their new relationship, but he should have known better than to dream that big. His plan was thrown out the window when Izzy walked into Alec's room the next morning after their kiss and found Magnus sleeping in his bed, their arms wrapped around each other as they slept.

Which is how Magnus and Alec now found themselves at Taki's, on a triple date with Izzy and Simon, and Jace and Clary.

They had been boyfriends (officially) for a little over six months now, and Alec loved every minute of it. While Alec originally worried that he wouldn’t have time to spend with Magnus, or that his responsibility to the Clave would come first, he quickly realized that Magnus was always understanding and patient with him as they figured out their relationship and how to balance their time between their jobs and their love life.

Alec spent a lot of nights at Magnus’, and Magnus began joining Alec on his morning jogs (he despised running, but he was willing to take up a new hobby for Alec, since he knew his boyfriend would do the same for him). Alec called on Magnus for help with Downworlder problems more and more, and Magnus returned the favor by sometimes bringing Alec along as back-up on jobs. They were an excellent team, and they loved the natural ease with which they fought and worked together. On slower nights, they cuddled on the couch with Chairman Meow and laughed and talked and watched tv. One time, Magnus even got Alec to slow dance with him in the middle of the living room- Alec may not be the most romantic boyfriend ever, but Magnus gave him credit for going along with all of his whims.

And even though they had been together for a relatively short time in the grand scheme of things, and this was Alec’s first boyfriend, he knew Magnus was it for him.

And he wouldn’t bring it up, but he had walked in on Magnus reading The Book of the White last week. More specifically, reading a page out of the book containing a complicated spell on how to make a warlock mortal. Magnus was so deep in his research that Alec had been able to quietly creep back out of the room without Magnus noticing him. He had decided that he would let Magnus bring it up if/when he was ready. He refused to get his hopes up, though- he knew it was difficult magic; but it moved him to know Magnus was even considering this, just for him.

Alec was pulled out of his thoughts by Magnus’ laughter. He turned to look at him, and smiled as he took in Magnus’ face, open and so happy. His boyfriend was so gorgeous, especially when he was smiling.

“What did Raphael say next?” Magnus asked, looking at Simon in glee.

“He said, ‘I swear to G… well, you know. If you ruin one more jacket, I will kill you.’ And I said, ‘Too late, Camille already did that.’”

Alec’s friends burst out laughing, and Alec joined in, happy for this one night of normalcy. Growing up, he never thought a night like this, surrounded by his friends and his boyfriend, relaxing and hanging out a diner, could ever be possible.

“Oh my God, Simon. You have got to cut poor Raphael a break,” Clary laughed.

“But it’s so much fun seeing his face when he’s annoyed,” Izzy protested, smiling gleefully at her boyfriend.

“He’s too uptight anyway. It’s just a jacket,” Jace replied.

“How can you even say that? You freak out if you even have a hair out of place,” Alec teased.

“I can’t help that I’m naturally blessed by the Angel with good looks. Not everyone can be as fortunate as I,” Jace argued. Clary teasingly smacked him in the chest with the back of her hand, which Jace caught in his own hand and brought up to his mouth to kiss. Alec wrapped his arm around Magnus, who snuggled into his side. Izzy smiled fondly at her brother and Magnus as Simon leaned in and kissed her cheek.

Alec Lightwood was nearly 19 years old. He was the Head of the Institute of NYC. He was Jace's parabatai, Izzy's big brother and Clary's trainer and, above all else, he was a born-and-raised Shadowhunter. He was a busy man with multiple chips on his shoulder, more duties than most people twice his age had, and now... he was Magnus Bane's boyfriend. A year ago, Alec never would have thought he would have time for a boyfriend, let alone that he would fall in love with a warlock. It just went to show that, sometimes, life could take an unexpected turn and something changed. But Alec wasn't about to complain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for reading this all the way to the end! You're so amazing and I've loved reading all of your comments. 
> 
> I'm working on another Malec fic called Strange Love, so if you need more Malec, check it out!


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